Platers,  Polishers 

——AND — - 


Painters 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


A 


https://archive.org/details/bronzersgilderspOOcurt 


POLISHING-  LATHE. 

These  Lathes  have 
been  designed  to  supply 
a want,  where  economy 
of  space  and  good  work- 
manship were  desirable 
in  a foot-power  Lathe. 

By  means  of  the  Patent 
Y Belt  we  have  been 
able  to  place  a Counter- 
shaft under  the  table, 
which  can  only  be  done 
successfully  by  means 
of  this  belt.  The  table 
of  this  machine  is  20  in. 
by  34  inches,  with  two 
drawers,  and  is  zinc 
lined.  The  frame  is  of 
iron  and  well  braced, 
and  has  a strong  jointed 
treadle  and  turned  pul- 
leys. 

Price,  - - $40.00 


No.  3,  LIGHT  BUFFING  LATHE. 


These  Lathes  stand  12  inches  high,  and  have  spindles  2 feet  9 
inches  long,  inch  diameter,  and  weigh  49  lbs.  They  are  made 
with  coliars  on  each  end  of  the  spindle,  one  collar  and  one  screw, 
and  two  screws,  also  with  fast  and  loose  pulleys,  and  with  one  wide 
and  fast  pulley.  The  spindle  between  the  collars  is  % inch  in  di- 
ameter. Unless  otherwise  stated  orders  will  be  filled  with  tight  and 
loose  pulleys  3 in.  diameter  and  2 in.  wide,  and  with  one  collar  and 
one  screw  as  shown  in  the  cut.  Price,  - - - - $16.00 

E.  LYON  & CO.,  470K  GRAND  STREET,  N.  Y. 


THE 


GUIDE  BOOK. 

BY 

MORGAN  L.  CURTIS. 


J'Jew  Jork  : 

John  P.  Peall,  Printer  by  Steam,  No.  9 Spruce  Street. 


i 88 1. 


REFERENCES. 


Arnold,  Constable  & Co.,  19th  Street  and  Broadway, New  York. 

Singer  Manufacturing  Co.,  Union  Square, “ 

Park  Bank, “ 

Academy  of  Design, “ 

U.  S.  Custom  House,  Wall  Street, “ 

Wilcox  & Gibbs,  Broadway  and  Bond, 

Mary  Mason  Jones,  House  67th  Street  and  oth  Avenue, ...  “ 

North  Wing,  U.  S.  Treasury .Washington,  D.  C. 

Peal  Bronze  Work,  East  Front  Capitol,  Bronze 

Lamp  Posts,  etc. * 

Galt  Brothers,  Jewelers, 

Newark  Mutual  Benefit  Life  Insurance  Co Newark,  N.  J. 

Mechanics’  Bank, “ 

State  Bank, 

Newark  Banking  Co 

Newark  Dime  Savings  Bank, 

North  Dutch  Church “ 

And  many  hundred  other  buildings. 


PREFACE. 


In  preparing  the  twenty-five  receipts  for  doing  as  many 
different  kinds  and  styles  of  Bronzing,  Dipping,  Lacquering, 
Polishing,  Nickel  and  Silver  Plating,  House  Painting,  etc. 
it  has  been  the  intention  to  furnish  within  a small  compass 
and  at  a low  price,  a Pocket  Guide  Book,  containing  the  most 
recent  discoveries  in  the  art  and  science  of  finishing  metals, 
painting,  etc.  Care  has  been  taken  to  avoid  as  much  as  pos- 
sible the  difficult  technical  terms  and  to  simplify  the  language, 
that  the  general  reader  shall  not  be  embarrassed  by  expressions 
unfamiliar  to  him.  If  the  rules  and  general  directions  herein 
given  be  followed  with  care,  the  desired  result  will  be  pro- 
duced. It  has  been  the  intention  to  put  only  such  receipts 
and  general  directions  in  this  book  as  have  been  practically 
applied  with  success  in  the  general  prosecution  of  my  busi- 
ness, which  has  been  the  manufacturing  of  gas  fixtures  and 
bronze  work,  in  the  city  of  New  York,  for  the  past  twenty-five 
years ; and  herein  refer  to  a few  of  the  many  places  I have 
furnished  with  gas  fixtures  and  bronze  work  of  my  own  design 
and  manufacture,  and  is  thus  presented  in  the  hope  that  it 
may  prove  as  intended,  a practical  pocket  guide  book. 


MORGAN  L.  CURTIS. 


BRONZING. 


CONTENTS. 


Preface  . 3 

Heal  Bronze  and  its  Origin 9 

French  Bronze  Powder 11 

French  Bronze  in  Belief II 

Bronze  for  Tin  or  Soft  Metal 12 

Liquid  Paint  Bronze 13 

Artistic  Bronze 13 

Yerd- Antique  for  Soft  Metal, 14 

Yerd- Antique  for  Brass  or  Beal  Bronze  15 

Blue  Bronze  for  Church'  Work 16 

Copper  Bronze  for  Burnishing 17 

Damascus  Bronze  for  Gun  Barrels,  &c. 17 

Japanese  Bronze  for  Brass  or  Beal  Bronze 18 

Dark  Green  for  Medals  and  Coins 19 

Bronze  for  Wood  or  Plaster  19 

Bronze  for  Zinc  or  Soft  Metals 19 

Paladium  Bronze  for  Brass 20 

Finish  for  Beal  Bronze  or  Brass 21 

Bronze  to  Imitate  Brass 21 

Chestnut  Brown  for  Brass 22 

Chinese  Bronze  for  Copper 2 

Bronze  for  Badiators 13 

To  Clean  Polished  Biass 24 

Bright  Dipping-  Acid 24 

Burnishing  Brass  25 

Bright  Gilt  Lacquer,  and  how  to  Apply 26 

Gold  Body  Lacquer 27 

Coloring  Materials  for  Lacquer 28 

Cleaning  or  Boiling  Off 29 

Nickel  and  Silver  Plating. 29 

Solution  for  Silver  Plating 31 

Polishing  Metals . 32 


OF 


PAINTING. 


« 

CONTENTS. 


Peiming  Outside. 


page 

Blisters • . 66 

Blocking  and  veining 51 

Boiled  Oil 61 

Brick- work 48 

Brushes,  and  preservation  of 35 

Carts,  wagons,  etc 60 

Cheap  oils 62 

Cleet-spots,  ladders 57 

Coloring  materials 38. 

Commencing  repaint 54 

Compositions 62 

Consistency  of  paint 

Consistency  of  paint,  directions,  etc. . 45 

Crawling 48 

Disposition  of  colors  for  blinds 55 

Disposition  of  Colors 54 

Dust  on  houses 53 

Economy  of  application 36 

Fatty  paint  : 58 

Finishing  outside 43 

Flashing . 46 

Glazing,  repairing 64 

Green  paints 47 

Guardiug  against  damage  by  rain,  etc 45 

Lining  50- 

Materials  34 

Of  “laps,”  etc.,  and  brushing 37 

One-coat  painting 52 

Out-houses,  saving  time 56 

Preparation 34 


vm 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Preventing  rust 52 

Puttying  joints,  tacking,  oil  adulterates  53 

Putty  and  puttying,  cleaning,  etc 44 

Quantity  and  application 35,  36 

Removing  old  paint . . 67 

Roof-painting 58 

Rubbing  down  66 

Sanding,  Sanders ....  49 

Sash  and  hot-house t 3 

Shingle  roofs 60 

Smoky  or  greasy  paint . 67 

Squaring 46 

Strainers 45 

System  of  Painting,  etc 39 

System  of  painting  blinds  and  fences 39,  40 

Time  for  drying 43 

Tin  and  iron  work 52 

Zinc  driers 60 

Priming  Inside  Wood- work. 

Cleaning 69 

Danger  from  dampness 68 

Drop-cloths 70 

Drying-rooms 68 

Egg-shell  gloss 74 

Enamel 75 

Einishing  inside  work 71 

Platting 72 

Ground  colors  for  graining 76 

Old  wood-work 70 

Preparing 71 

Priming 68 

Priming  for  graining 69 

Shellacing  and  shellac . 67,  70 

Suitable  brushes 70 

System 39,  70 

Tinting 74 

Wet  wood 68 

White-lead  Puttying 69 

White  shellac 70 


BRONZERS’  & GILDERS’ 

GUIDE  BOOK. 


:o: 

REAL  BRONZE,  AND  ITS  ORIGIN, 

A combination  of  metals  which  has  received  the 
name  of  Bronze  was  employed  by  the  Ancients  in  the 
fabrication  of  different  utensils,  and  in  casting  busts, 
statues,  and  other  objects. 

The  Egyptians,  Greeks,  and  Bomans,  used  this 
compound  metal  in  the  greater  part  of  the  decora- 
tions of  those  magnificent  temples  and  palaces,  whose 
ruins  have  remained  to  later  eras,  but  amidst  the  gen- 
eral wreck,  there  are  some  fragments  preserved  which 
indicate  the  perfection  which  has  been  attained  in  the 
employment  of  Bronze. 

The  wealth  of  some  ancient  cities,  was  estimated 
by  the  number  of  their  brazen  statues,  and  Deephos, 
Athens,  and  Rhodes  are  reported  to  have  each  pos- 
sessed three  thousand;  some  distinguished  Romans 
adorned  their  city  in  this  manner,  and  so  strong  a pro- 
pensity was  exhibited  for  multiplying  works  of  this 
kind  that  an  observation  became  current  that  in  Rome, 
the  People  of  Brass  were  not  less  numerous  than  tha 
Roman  People. 


10 


It  has  been  remarked  that  works  which  we  now  ex- 
ecute in  iron  and  steel  were  little  known  to  the  An- 
cients. That  their  arms  and  armorers  were  usually  of 
Bronze,  now  alluded  to,  and  that  a set  of  surgeons’  in- 
struments, entirely  of  Bronze,  was  discovered  in  Pom- 
peii. 

The  ancient  Bronzes,  are  of  the  alloys  of  copper  and 
tin.  Those  examined  by  Klaproth,  Davey  and  others, 
whether  from  Greece  or  Italy,  contain  from  11  to  13 
per  cent,  of  tin.  Nearly  the  same  proportions  are  used 
in  modern  Bronzes  in  casting  statues,  Steele  of  Edin- 
burgh, in  his  fine  statue  of  Wellington,  used  90  copper 
to  10  of  tin — same  proportions  used  by  Chantrey  and 
Westmacott. 

The  best  gun  metal  consists  of  89  copper  to  11  tin. 
Bronze  is  extremely  hard  and  more  brittle  than  brass 
and  more  fusible  than  copper,  and  not  liable  to  tarnish. 
It  is  peculiarly  adapted  to  casts  and  statues. 

Various  nations  have  compounded  the  metal,  em- 
ployed in  different  proportions.  According  to  Pliny, 
the  Bronze  of  the  Grecians  was  formed  in  the  same 
way,  with  the  addition  of  one-tenth  part  lead  and  a 
twentieth  of  silver,  which  proportions  were  adopted  by 
the  Romans.  The  ancient  Bronzes,  however,  present 
a different  appearance  from  those  used  by  the  Moderns ; 
and  the  fact  is  ascertained  in  respect  to  the  metallic 
proportions  by  skilful  chemists. 

An  illustration  of  this  fact  is  sometimes  given  in  the 
four  celebrated  horses  of  Bronze  supposed  to  be  the 
work  of  Tysippus,  a Greek  artist,  which  were  brought 
from  Venice,  by  command  of  Bonaparte,  to  the  Tuille- 


11 


ries  at  Paris,  and  on  the  fall  of  that  extraordinary  man 
were  restored  to  their  original  position. 

FRENCH  BRONZE  POWDER. 

Dust  Bronzing  is  usually  applied  to  plain  or  smooth 
work.  The  work  should  in  all  cases  be  first  cleaned 
and  made  free  from  grease.  Apply  a coat  of  copal 
varnish,  slightly  diluted  with  turpentine  : in  the  space 
of  eight  to  twelve  minutes  it  will  be  sufficiently  dry  to 
receive  the  Bronze.  The  Bronze  is  applied  by  using  a 
camel’s  hair  brush.  The  Bronze  should  be  brushed  all 
over  the  work.  In  this  way  the  work  receives  a thin 
coat  of  Bronze.  After  it  has  become  dry  wipe  off  the 
surplus  Bronze  and  varnish  with  spirit  varnish  diluted 
with  alcohol,  this  will  dry  in  a few  minutes. 

A desirable  color  can  be  produced  by  mixing  copper 
and  orange  Bronze  Powders,  two  parts  copper  to  one 
of  orange,  thoroughly  mixed.  This  is  the  mixture  now 
used  on  gas  fixtures,  clocks,  statues,  &c..  By  adding 
more  orange  a lighter  color  will  be  produced,  and  of 
copper  a reddish  color. 


:o: 

FRENCH  BRONZE  IN  RELIEF. 

First  clean  the  work,  then  make  black.  If  the  work 
is  composed  of  any  kind  of  soft  metal,  vinegar  and 
lamp  black,  with  a little  sal  amoniac,  should  be  applied 


12 


after  it  lias  become  dry  brush  off  with  a stiff  brush, 
and  varnish  with  copal  varnish.  When  it  has  become 
quite  dry  apply  the  Bronze  in  the  following  manner. 

Take  a piece  of  pine  board  planed  smooth,  say  ten 
inches  square,  place  on  the  board  about  a half  tea- 
spoonfull  of  copal  yarnish ; take  a small  quantity  of 
Bronze,  same  as  used  in  dust  Bronze  ; use  a half  inch 
bristle  brush,  and  thoroughly  mix  the  Bronze  on  the 
board  and  work  the  Bronze  into  the  brush  ; then  apply 
the  Bronze  to  the  high  or  prominent  parts  of  the  work. 
This  will  produce  a very  handsome  Bronze  with  a dark 
ground  relief.  Cafe  should  be  taken  not  to  get  too  much 
Bronze  or  yarnish  in  the  brush  at  one  time,  the  Bronze 
should  be  mixed  as  it  is  used  ; if  it  should  stand  any 
length  of  time  it  will  soon  become  set,  and  will  not 
work  smoothly  ; after  a sufficient  amount  of  Bronze  is 
applied  to  get  the  desired  shade  the  work  should  be 
varnished  with  spirit  yarnish  ; if  it  is  a fine  piece  of 
work  bees  wax  may  be  applied  by  taking  a hard  brush 
and  rubbing  it  over  a piece  of  bees  wax  and  then  brush 
the  work;  this  will  produce  more  of  a smooth  surface 
on  the  work ; for  ordinary  gas  fixtures  the  waxing  is 
unnecessary. 

:o: 

BRONZE  FOR  TIN  OR  SOFT  METAL 

Take  sulphate  of  iron  and  sulphate  of  copper,  each 
one  ounce;  water  one  pint;  dissolve  and  wash  the 
surface  or  dip  the  article  in  the  solution,  then  dry  and 


13 


apply  a solution  of  verdigris,  two  ounces  dissolved  in 
half  pint  strong  vinegar  ; dry  again.  Polish  with  plate 
brush  and  plumbago ; this  may  be  varnished  or  lac- 
quered. 

This  makes  a very  rich  bronze,  and  very  durable. 

— — — :o: 

LIQUID  PAINT  BRONZE. 

There  are  several  kinds  of  liquid  paint  mixtures  in 
the  market.  They  are  made  expressly  for  mixing  with 
Bronze  powder;  some  of  them  work  very  well.  It 
should  be  mixed  in  small  quantities  as  it  dries  very 
quickly  ; it  may  be  applied  by  the  brush  in  the  style 
of  painting  ; care  should  be  taken  to  not  apply 
too  many  coats  in  rapid  succession  ; Bronze  mixed  with 
copal  varnish  and  applied  in  the  same  way,  will  be 
found  to  be  cheaper  than  the  liquid  size.  In  either 
case  the  article  should  be  finished  with  spirit  varnish . 
For  steam  radiators  the  liquid  size  only  should  be  used. 

ARTISTIC  BRONZE, 

This  Bronze  is  made  by  using  two  colors  of  Bronze 
powders,  and  is  used  in  the  following  manner  : first 
apply  a coat  of  copal  varnish,  after  it  is  slightly  dried 
apply  copper  bronze  powder  to  the  high  or  prominent 
parts  ; then  brush  green  Bronze  powder  all  over  the 
article. 

Wherever  the  copper  has  been  applied,  the  green 


14 


will  not  adhere  to  the  work,  as  the  varnish  has  been 
absorbed  by  the  copper  bronze  ; the  copper  should 
then  be  applied  by  taking  a piece  of  chamois  skin  and 
dipping  it  into  the  bronze,  rub  it  over  the  work. 

This  style  of  Bronze  is  particularly  applicable  to 
any  kind  of  leaf  work,  or  any  highly  ornamented  work  ; 
it  is  much  used  in  Paris  on  small  fancy  articles. 

This  Bronze  may  be  varnished  or  not ; it  is  more 
brilliant  without  varnish,  but  will  be  less  durable. 

If  the  work  is  varnished,  shellac  varnish  should  be 
used,  other  colors  may  be  applied  in  the  same  way. 

:o: 

Verd-Antique  for  Soft  Metal. 

First,  prepare  and  apply  the  green  ground,  which  is 
made  in  the  following  way  : take  crystallized  verdigris, 
and  compound  green  and  add  oxide  of  lead  and  copal 
varnish,  mix  in  such  proportions  as  the  case  may  re- 
quire ; if  a light  green  ground  is  required,  add  the 
oxide  of  lead ; this  mixture  should  be  thoroughly 
mixed  by  grinding  on  a stone,  or  in  a paint  mill ; the 
mixture  may  require  a small  quantity  of  turpentine  to 
thin  it  ; apply  this  with  a brush  ; after  it  has  become 
dry,  apply  the  next  coat  of  green  in  the  following 
way  : take  half  tea  cup  of  permanent  or  Bronze  green  ; 
add  a small  quantity  of  water,  and  stir  it  well ; then 
add  half  table-spoonful  of  dissolved  gum  Arabic,  and 
one  table-spoon  of  dry  white  lead  (or  oxide  of  lead), 
then  stir  all  together  and  thoroughly  mix  ; then  take  a 


15 


brush  and  apply  this  all  over  the  article,  as  soon  as  the 
work  is  covered,  take  a wet  rag  and  wipe  off  the  high 
or  prominent  parts,  this  will  leave  a dry  frosty  green 
on  the  lower  parts,  and  the  dark  green  in  the  high 
parts,  in  this  way  the  two  shades  become  blended  to- 
gether. A rag  with  a little  oil  may  then  be  used  to 
rub  over  the  high  parts  to  make  it  clean.  No  oil  should 
touch  the  lower  portion  of  the  work.  A black  may  be 
used  with  this  green,  and  makes  a very  fine  finish  for 
gas  fixtures,  &c. 

:o: 

Verd-Antique  for  Brass  or  Real  Bronze. 

To  give  the  antique  appearance  to  new  work,  first 
thoroughly  clean  the  work,  and  make  it  free  from 
grease,  then  make  the  solution. 

Take  one  part  sal  amoniac,  three  parts  cream  tartar, 
six  parts  common  salt,  twelve  parts  hot  water,  dissolve 
all  and  stir  them  together.  Then  add  eight  parts  of  a 
solution  of  nitrate  of  copper,  specific  gravity  of  1.160. 
This  compound,  when  applied  repeatedly  in  a mode- 
rately damp  place,  gives  the  work  a durable  green  coat 
which  becomes  by  degrees  very  beautiful. 

The  addition  of  salt  gives  the  work  a yellowish 
tinge,  less  salt  a bluish  cast,  an  addition  of  sal  amoniac 
accelerates  the  mordant,  after  the  desired  shade  has 
been  produced  by  the  repeated  application  of  the  sol- 
ution, it  should  then  be  dried  and  the  prominent  parts 
may  then  be  brushed  slightly  with  a plate  brush,  or 
rubbed  with  a chamois  skin  ; wherever  it  is  rubbed  or 


16 


brushed  it  will  become  darker,  thus  producing  the 
relief  it  requires ; no  varnish  or  lacquer  should  be 
applied  to  this  style  of  Bronzing. 

The  finest  clocks  and  statues  are  bronzed  by  this 
process. 


:o:- 


Blue  Bronze  for  Church  Work, 

Thoroughly  clean  the  work ; then  apply  a coat  of 
gum  Arabic,  let  it  stand  a few  minutes,  then  apply  the 
bronze  with  a brush. 

Prepare  the  Bronze  in  the  following  manner  : take 
three  quarters  of  a tea  cup  of  ultra  marine  blue ; add 
a little  water  and  stir  it,  thoroughly ; add  one  tea- 
spoonful of  gum  Arabic,  one-half  tea-spoon  dry  white 
lead,  mix  all  together  and  dilute  with  water,  until  it  is 
thin  enough  to  work  smoothly  ; two  coats  are  required  i 
let  the  first  coat  get  dry  before  the  second  is  applied. 

The  gum  Arabic  is  used  to  hold  the  bronze  on  the 
work  ; no  varnish  or  lacquer  should  be  used.  This 
process  produces  a very  beautiful,  soft,  velvet-like 
appearance. 

The  blue  is  usually  applied  to  the  plain  parts  of  gas 
fixtures,  the  more  ornamental  parts  are  finished  in  gilt. 

This  style  is  much  used  in  churches,  both  in  Europe 
and  this  country. 


17 


Copper  Bronze  for  Burnishing. 

To  make  a copper  solution  or  dip,  take  one  quart 
muriatic  acid,  add  sulphate  copper  one  quarter  pound, 
two  ounces  of  arsenic,  one  table-spoon  of  wrought  iron 
turnings,  add  a little  water,  and  dip  the  work  in  several 
times,  or  until  it  receives  a copper  color.  It  should 
then  be  dried  out  and  burnished  and  lacquered,  with 
shellac  lacquer. 

If  the  work  is  burnished  before  it  is  dipped  in  this 
solution,  it  will  come  out  bright.  This,  finish  is  much 
used  on  builders’  hardware,  and  many  kinds  of  fancy 
goods.  If  the  bronze  or  dip,  should  not  work  on  the 
metal,  after  it  has  been  made  for  several  days,  it  should 
be  heated  over  a slow  fire  or  a steam  kettle  ; it  should 
also  be  kept  covered  in  a stone  pot,  when  not  in  use. 

:o:- 

Damascus  Bronze  for  Gun  Barrels,  etc. 

For  the  bronzing  operation  known  as  Damascus 
Bronze,  the  process  is  as  follows : first  clean  the  work 
and  make  free  from  grease,  the  work  is  then  treated 
to  a solution  of  diluted  nitric  acid  and  vinegar,  to 
which  a small  quantity  of  sulphate  of  copper  should 
be  added. 

The  result  is  that  metallic  copper  is  deposited  irregu- 
larly over  the  work,  then  wash  clean  and  dry ; apply 
a little  sweet  oil ; when  it  is  dry,  take  a plate  brush 


18 


and  polish  ; if  it  is  a gun  barrel  it  should  receive  a 
coat  of  shellac  lacquer,  put  on  quite  thin  and  uniformly, 
by  slightly  heating  the  barrel,  then  apply  the  lacquer 
with  a soft  camel’s  hair  brush,  this  produces  a beauti- 
ful brown  color,  which  is  very  desirable,  as  it  is  less  at- 
tractive to  game,  and  is  less  conspicuous  to  the  enemy 
in  time  of  war. 


:o: 


Japanese  Bronze  for  Brass  or  Real  Bronze. 

The  work  to  be  bronzed  should  first  be  made  bright 
and  perfectly  clean. 

Prepare  the  solution  in  the  following  manner;  take 
two  ounces  verdigris,  two  ounces  cinnebar,  five  ounces 
sal  ammoniac,  five  ounces  alum,  all  in  powder ; then 
mix  them  into  a paste  with  strong  vinegar. 

Then  take  a brush  and  spread  this  quite  thickly  over 
the  work,  hold  the  article  over  a clear  fire,  or  heat 
uniformly  over  a furnace,  or  in  an  oven ; then  cool, 
wash  clean  and  dry.  If  the  first  application  does  not 
produce  the  desired  color,  or  is  not  deep  enough,  then 
repeat  the  operation  in  the  same  way.  An  addition 
of  sulphate  of  copper  makes  the  color  incline  more 
to  a chestnut  brown,  and  of  borax  to  a yellow. 

The  last  process  is  to  polish  with  a hand  plate  brush, 
and  give  the  work  a coat  of  shellac  varnish,  put  on 
quite  thin  with  a camel’s  hair  brush. 

Waxing  may  be  applied  if  the  work  is  fine. 


19 


Dark  Green  for  Medals  and  Coins. 

First,  thoroughly  clean,  then  prepare  the  following 
solution : sal  amoniac  one  part,  cream  of  tartar  three, 
common  salt  six,  hot  water  twelve,  nitrate  of  copper 
four  ; then  dip  the  work  into  this  solution  repeatedly  : 
a copper  boiler  is  the  best  thing  to  use  for  the  solution  ; 
if  it  should  not  work  rapidly  the  solution  may  be 
heated  after  the  desired  color  has  been  obtained  ; the 
work  should  be  washed,  dried  and  rubbed  with  a 
chamois  skin ; lacquer  may  be  applied  to  prevent 
tarnishing. 

:o: 

Bronze  for  Wood  or  Plaster. 

First,  the  work  should  be  coated  over  with  a mixture 
of  size  and  lamp  black,  and  then  dried.  Then  a 
bronze  powder  consisting  of  very  finely  divided  paint, 
yellow,  raw  umber,  pipe  clay,  lamp  black,  and  Prussian 
blue  ; this  is  applied  with  a brush,  then  dry  again,  the 
article  is  polished  with  a cloth,  or  leather  covered  with 
a layer  of  castile  soap ; lastly,  clean  off  with  a woolen 
cloth. 

:o: 

Bronze  of  Zinc  or  Soft  Metal. 

Make  a solution  or  dip  in  the  following  way  : take 
one  ounce  of  sal  amoniac,  one-half  ounce  of  alum,  one 


20 


half  ounce  arsenic,  dissolve  in  one-half  pint  strong 
vinegar.  If  the  work  is  small,  it  may  be  dipped  in  the 
solution,  if  large,  it  should  be  applied  with  a rag  to 
prevent  streaking.  The  color  will  depend  on  the 
number  of  times  the  solution  is  applied. 

The  work  should  then  be  washed,  dried,  and  var- 
nished with  shellac  varnish. 

: -;o: 

Poladium  Bronze, 

This  bronze  is  for  coloring  brass,  copper,  or  real 
bronze,  to  give  it  a dark  rich  color,  it  works  very  quick, 
but  it  is  expensive. 

This  is  made  of  the  chloride  of  poladium,  called 
chemical  bronze,  make  in  the  following  manner  : take 
one  quart  of  muriatic  acid,  add  four  ounces  arsenic, 
fifty  drops  of  the  chloride  of  poladium,  this  should  be 
thoroughly  stirred  and  daubed  on  with  a linen  rag 
to  avoid  streaking.  If  the  work  is  large,  its  effect  is 
very  sudden  ; after  applying,  wash  off  with  clean  water, 
and  if  the  desired  color  is  not  produced,  repeat  the 
application ; after  using,  it  should  be  put  in  a tight 
bottle  or  stone  pot. 

If  the  work  is  small  it  may  be  placed  on  copper  wire 
and  dipped  in  the  solution.  Long  tubes  may  be 
bronzed  by  holding  them  over  the  pot  in  an  upright 
position,  and  pouring  the  solution  over  the  work  with 
a pitcher ; it  should  color  in  two  minutes.  After  the 
desired  shade  has  been  produced,  rinse  off  with  clear 


21 


water,  and  dry  out  with  hot  water,  and  rub  with  paper 
shavings  ; if  tubes  or  small  work,  it  may  be  lacquered 
with  color  to  suit. 

^ -:o: 

Finish  for  Real  Bronze  or  Brass, 

This  is  acknowledged  to.  be  the  richest  bronze  finish 
now  used. 

First  clean  the  article  and  make  free  from  grease, 
then  take  one  quart  water,  add  one  quart  muriatic  acid, 
four  ounces  arsenic,  forty  drops  chloride  of  poladium ; 
if  this  is  found  to  be  too  strong,  so  as  to  make  fumes, 
when  applied  to  the  work,  or  if  it  should  boil  or  foam, 
then  dilute  with  water,  apply  this  to  the  article  to  be 
bronzed,  until  a dry  black  is  produced,  then  wash  off 
and  dry.  Then  take  sand  and  water  on  a rag,  and 
scour  the  high  parts  of  the  work,  until  the  metal  shows 
through  the  black  sufficient  to  make  the  relief,  then 
again  dry,  and  varnish  with  copal  varnish  made  quite 
thin  ; when  this  has  nearly  dried,  then  apply  with  a 
chamois  skin,  a powder  known  as  sanguin,  until  a clear 
transparent  relief  is  produced,  then  again  varnish  with 
thin  copal  varnish. 


:o: 

Bronze  to  Imitate  Brass. 

This  preparation  is  made  to  imitate  brass  or  to  give 
the  article  the  appearance  of  being  brass. 


22 


There  are  two  kinds,  the  real  brass  or  bronze,  and 
the  yellow  gilt  brass  ; the  latter  is  only  made  of  copper 
filings,  the  finest  that  can  be  found  ; with  the  former 
it  is  used  by  mixing  some  red  ochre,  finely  pulverized 
and  both  are  used  with  varnish. 

In  order  to  make  a fine  brass  that  will  not  take  any 
rust  or  verdigris,  it  must  be  put  on  with  a chafing 
dish  of  coals,  as  it  is  applied. 

The  finest  brass  color  is  made  of  powdered  brass, 
imported  from  Germany,  mixed  with  varnish,  which  is 
prepared  and  used  thus.  The  varnish  is  composed  of 
one  pound  four  ounces  of  spirits  of  wine,  two  ounces 
gum  lac,  two  ounces  sandarach. 

The  last  two  drugs  being  pulverized  separately,  and 
afterwards  dissolved  in  spirits  of  wine,  care  being 
taken  to  fill  the  bottle  but  half  full ; the  varnish  being 
made,  mix  a quantity  of  it  with  pulverized  brass  and 
apply  it  with  a brush  ; too  much  must  not  be  mixed  at 
once,  as  the  varnish  dries  very  quickly.  In  this  man- 
ner figures  of  plaster  are  made  to  look  almost  as 
though  they  were  of  cast  brass. 

:o: 

Chestnut  Brown  for  Brass. 

First  thoroughly  clean  the  work  and  make  bright, 
then  polish  with  a plate  brush  and  common  crocus 
powder,  jewellers’  rouge,  previously  made  into  a smooth 
paste  with  water. 

Then  heat  the  work  uniformly  over  a furnace  or  a 


23 


clear  fire,  and  let  it  cool ; then  again  polish  with  the 
same  brush  ; if  the  work  does  not  receive  the  de- 
sired shade  the  first  time  the  process  should  be 
repeated.  The  work  may  then  be  lacquered  with 
shellac  lacquer,  made  very  thin  ; the  work  should  be 
heated  slightly  before  applying  the  lacquer,  which 
should  be  put  on  evenly  and  with  great  care. 

A much  darker  and  more  desirable  bronze  may  be 
produced  by  the  same  process  as  the  last,  by  substitu- 
ting finely  powdered  plumbago  for  crocus  powder  ; 
shellac  varnish  may  be  used  for  this.  In  either  case 
the  work  must  be  handled  with  care  until  it  gets  cold, 
as  the  touch  of  a finger  will  leave  a mark. 

:o: 

Chinese  Bronze  for  Copper. 

First  clean  the  work,  then  prepare  the  following 
solution : take  verdigris  and  vermilion,  each  two 
ounces  ; alum,  five  ounces  ; sal  amoniac,  five  ounc*  s ; 
all  in  fine  powder  ; add  vinegar,  one  pint ; then  thor- 
oughly mix  and  spread  quite  thickly  over  the  work  ; then 
uniformly  heat  the  work  over  a clear  fire  ; then  cool 
slowly  ; wash  and  dry.  The  tint  may  be  deepened  by 
repeating  the  process.  The  addition  of  a small  quan- 
tity of  blue  vitriol  inclines  the  color  to  a chestnut 
brown,  and  a little  borax  to  a yellowish  brown.  This 
bronze  is  used  by  the  Chinese  for  coloring  their  copper 
tea  urns,  and  other  copper  articles. 


24 


To  Clean  Polished  Brass. 

To  dean  brass  that  lias  not  been  lacquered  or  var- 
nished : rotten  stone,  four  ounces  ; oxalic  acid  in  fine 
powder,  one  ounce  ; sweet  oil,  one  and  a half  ounces  ; 
one  ounce  turpentine  and  a little  water  ; and  rub  with  a 
piece  of  leather  ; a strong  lye  of  rock-alum  and  water  is 
also  used  ; in  all  cases  where  acid  is  used  the  article 
should  be  well  washed  and  dried.  Dry  rotten  stone 
on  a chamois  skin  for  the  final  finish  is  used. 

— :o: — • 

Bright  Dipping  Acid. 

Take  two  quarts  of  aqua  fortis,  two  of  sulphuric 
acid,  mixed  in  a stone  pot.  It  can  be  used  as  soon 
as  mixed,  but  it  will  work  much  better  if  it  is  allowed 
to  stand  twelve  hours  before  using ; the  work  should 
first  be  dipped  in  hot  potash  lye^then  into  cold  water, 
from  the  cold  water  into  the  acid,  from  the  acid  into 
cold  water,  from  the  cold  water  again  into  the  lye,  and 
again  into  clean  water,  then  again  into  the  acid  ; this 
should  be  repeated  until  the  work  comes  out  a clean 
bright  color.  The  work  should  be  run  through  the 
acid  as  quickly  as  possible.  The  last  time  the  work 
should  be  run  through  perfectly  clean  water,  and  then 
into  hot  water;  and  then  dried  out  by  swinging  in  the 
air,  or  by  paper  shavings  or  box-wood  sawdust ; clean 
pine  sawdust  may  be  used.  Two  tubs  of  water  are 
necessary  ; have  one  perfectly  clean  and  free  from 


25 


acid.  The  tubs  are  usually  connected  together,  and 
the  one  nearest  to  the  acid  is  supplied  from  the  other 
tub  ; the  second  tub  should  stand  under  the  draw- 
cock.  Care  should  be  used  to  keep  the  potash  and 
acid  off  the  hands,  as  it  will  make  them  sore  if  allowed 
to  remain  any  length  of  time.  Copper  wire  should  be 
used  to  string  the  work  on  for  dipping. 

Burnishing  Brass  cr  Silver. 

Burnishing  is  usually  done  with  steel  burnishers  ; 
blood  stone  is  sometimes  used.  Burnishers  are  first 
made  the  required  shape  ; some  are  made  a hook 
shape ; some  of  a claw  shape.  They  should  be  about 
ten  inches  long ; in  wooden  handles.  These  burnishers 
are  polished  very  fine  with  emery  and  oil,  so  they  will 
slip  over  the  work  without  scratching,  and  give  the 
work  a bright  color.  There  is  also  the  double  bur- 
nisher, which  is  made  of  half  inch  round  steel,  and 
twelve  to  fourteen  inches  long.  On  one  end  of  each 
there  is  a hook  formed,  into  which  rings  of  various 
sizes  are  placed  ; this  is  to  assist  in  holding  the  bur- 
nishers on  the  work.  By  placing  one  on  the  lower  and 
one  on  the  upper  side  of  the  tube,  and  rubbing  hard, 
the  burnisher  takes  effect,  and  the  two  sides  are  bur- 
nished at  the  same  time.  The  work  should  be  kept 
wet  with  sour  beer,  slightly  diluted  with  water ; common 
soap  boiled  down  to  a pulp  is  also  used.  After  the 
work  is  burnished,  it  should  be  run  through  what  is 


26 

called  sharp  water,  to  remove  the  tarnish ; this  is  made 
"by  adding  about  one -half  a tea  cup  of  aqua  fortis  and 
oil  vitriol  to  one  pail  of  water  ; dry  out  with  hot  water 
and  paper  shavings  or  sawdust.  Lathe  burnishers  are 
made  an  oval  shape  on  the  end,  and  highly  polished. 

To  clean  burnishers,  take  a piece  of  thick  leather 
and  nail  it  to  the  burnishing  bench  ; apply  to  it  crocus 
or  rouge,  then  rub  the  burnishers  hard  on  the  leather. 

:o: 

Bright  Gold  Lacquer,  and  How  to  Apply. 

This  is  the  lacquer  used  on  gas  fixtures  and  all 
kinds  of  fine  work.  It  should  be  applied  by  heating 
the  work  sufficiently  hot  to  evaporate  the  alcohol  as 
fast  as  it  is  applied ; but  a small  quantity  of  lacquer 
should  be  taken  into  the  brush  at  one  time.  The  lac- 
quer should  be  applied  evenly  over  the  surface  of  the 
work  ; a camel’s  hair  brush  should  be  used  ; care  must 
be  taken  not  to  over-heat  the  work,  as  it  will  cause  the 
work  to  turn  black  ; the  work  should  be  made  clean 
and  bright  by  dipping,  before  the  lacquer  is  applied. 

To  make  two  gallons — Prepare  the  lacquer  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner:  first,  deposit  two  gallons  of  proof 
alcohol  in  a three-gallon  demijohn,  then  pulverize  and 
add  one  and  a half  pounds  shellac  and  one  pound  pul- 
verized seed-lac  ; then  thoroughly  shake  once  a day 
for  ten  days ; then  decant  into  a small  demijohn, 
through  a funnel  with  filtering  paper.  Coloring  ma- 
terials may  be  added  to  suit  the  case  ; if  found  too 
thick  to  work  smoothly,  dilute  with  alcohol  : lacquer 


27 


should  be  placed  in  a bottle  at  night,  or  when  not  in 
use,  as  it  will  evaporate  fast  and  will  not  work  smoothly. 
Lacquers  that  have  had  coloring  materials  added, 
should  not  be  put  back  in  the  original  bottles. 

Gold  Body  Lacquer. 

This  lacquer  is  used  for  philosophical  and  tele- 
graphic instruments,  ship  fixtures,  and  many  kinds  of 
brass  goods,  where  a heavy  body  of  lacquer  is  required. 
It  should  be  applied  by  heating  the  work,  and  keeping 
it  hot  during  the  process  of  lacquering.  If  the  work 
should  become  too  cold  while  the  lacquer  is  being 
applied,  whatever  is  deposited  while  hot  will  come  off 
with  the  fresh  lacquer,  when  it  gets  partially  cold  ; but 
is  very  firm  when  entirely  cold.  Several  coats  should 
be  applied  in  rapid  succession  ; in  all  cases  a cold  coat 
should  be  applied  before  the  work  is  heated.  This 
receipt  is  for  making  two  gallons  of  lacquer  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner  : 

Place  two  gallons  of  proof  alcohol  in  a three-gallon 
demijohn  ; add  to  it  one  and  a half  pounds  pulverized 
shellac,  one  pound  pulverized  gum  sandarach,  one 
pounds  pulverized  gum  mastic,  one  and  a half  ounces 
gamboge,  one  half  pound  coarsely  pulverized  glass, 
one  quart  best  turpentine  varnish ; then  thoroughly 
agitate  or  shake  once  a day  for  two  weeks  ; then  decant 
and  strain,  with  compression,  into  another  demijohn. 
What  is  meant  by  compression  is  to  place  a piece  of 
muslin  over  a funnel  and  pour  some  of  the  lacquer  into 


28 


it,  then  close  tlie  muslin  and  hold  fast  with  the  left 
hand  and  squeeze  with  the  right,  or  bj  the  aid  of  two 
pieces  of  wood  fastened  together  at  one  end.  It 
should  again  be  allowed  to  settle,  and  then  it  is  ready 
for  use.  More  coloring  matter  may  be  added,  as  the 
case  may  require.  If  the  lacquer  is  found  to  be  too 
thick  to  work  well,  more  alcohol  may  be  added.  For . 
very  fine  work,  the  lacquer  may  again  be  filtered 
through  filtering  paper. 

:o: 

Coloring  Materials  for  Lacquer, 

To  make  four  hinds  of  coloring  materials.  Take  four 
one-quart  bottles,  and  place  in  each  one  half  pint  proof 
alcohol ; to  the  first,  add  one  quarter  pound  pulverized 
dragon’s  blood,  to  the  second,  add  one-quarter  pound 
red  sanders,  to  third,  one  quarter  pound  tumeric,  to  the 
fourth,  add  one-quarter  pound  gamboge ; a small  quan- 
tity of  alcohol  may  be  added  in  a few  days.  All  these 
should  be  shaken  once  or  twice  a day  for  a week  or 
more.  From  these  almost  any  shade  can  be  produced. 
Filtering  will  improve  all  the  above  coloring  matter. 
A few  drops  of  either  of  the  above  will  change  the 
color  of  a half-pint  of  lacquer.  Some  judgment  should 
be  used  in  adding  the  colors.  In  some  cases  two  or 
three  may  be  used  to  advantage  in  the  same  pot  of 
lacquer. 


29 


Cleaning  or  Boiling  Off. 

Make  potash  lye  in  the  following  manner : to  four 
gallons  hot  water,  add  one  pound  stone  potash,  or  one 
half  pound  Babbitt’s  concentrated  lye ; dip  the  wrork 
into  this,  and  agitate,  and  brush  the  work  with  the  aid 
of  a little  sand,  if  the  work  is  old.  If  new  work,  the 
sand  may  not  be  necessary.  In  boiling  off  old  gilt 
work,  the  work  should  not  be  kept  in  the  potash  lye 
too  long,  and  should  be  dipped  immediately  in  clear, 
cold  water,  and  finally  run  through  sharp  water,  or 
water  that  has  a very  little  acid  in  it.  The  acid  im- 
mediately destroys  the  potash.  It  should  then  be 
dried  out  with  hot  water  and  sawdust,  or  paper 
shavings.  In  all  cases  the  potash  should  be  thorough- 
ly removed.  Care  should  be  taken  to  keep  potash 
from  the  hands  and  clothing. 

:o: 

Nickel  and  Silver  Plating. 

In  consequence  of  the  great  and  constantly  increas- 
ing demand  for  articles  in  the  line  of  nickel  plated 
goods,  no  brass  finishing  shop  is  complete  without  the 
necessary  outfit  to  do  nickel  plating.  It  has  been 
demonstrated  that  nickel  plate,  for  a great  variety  of 
articles,*  is  far  superior  to  silver,  for  the  following 
reasons  : first,  that  nickel  is  a very  much  harder  metal 
than  silver,  consequently,  will  wear  much  longer  ; 
second,  it  is  very  much  cheaper,  and  can  be  deposited 


30 


with  great  rapidity,  and  will  not  tarnish  as  quick  as 
silver.  Nickel  plate  is  now  being  done  with  such  skill, 
that  the  work  is  brought  out  so  white  or  so  near  the  color 
of  silver,  that  many  do  not  notice  the  difference  unless 
they  make  a critical  examination.  To  do  either  nickel 
or  silver  plating  with  success,  great  care  should  be 
taken  to  have  the  article  to  be  plated  absolutely  clean 
and  free  from  grease  or  finger  marks.  The  article 
should  be  smooth  and  free  from  file  scratches  or  any 
corrosive  matter.  If  the  article  be  new  work  it  should 
first  be  finished  on  the  emery  wheels  of  such  grade  as 
the  case  may  require.  After  the  work  has  been  ad“ 
vanced  by  the  emery  wheel,  it  should  next  be  applied 
to  the  brush  wheel,  first  charging  the  brush  with 
composition  rouge  ; from  the  brush  wheel  it  should 
be  finely  finished  on  the  cotton  wheel,  with  the  rouge 
or  a composition  made  expressly  for  such  work.  After 
the  work  is  thus  finished  it  should  be  run  through  hot 
potash  lye.  If  the  article  be  brass,  copper,  or  real 
bronze,  it  should  then  be  dipped  in  the  regular  bright 
dipping  acid,  which  is  made  by  mixing  equal  parts  of 
sulphuric  and  nitric  acids.  It  should  be  run  through 
the  acid  quickly,  and  thoroughly  washed  off  with  clean 
water.  If  the  article  to  be  plated  is  iron,  it  should  be 
run  through  what  is  known  as  sharp  water,  which  is 
made  by  mixing  six  parts  water  with  one  part  sulphuric 
acid.  If  the  work  does  not  come  out  clean  and  bright, 
take  a woolen  rag  and  common  white  sand  and  scour 
it ; then  again  wash  off  in  clean  water  ; it  is  then  ready 
for  the  solution.  If  the  battery  is  in  order,  and  the 
solution  properly  made,  from  ten  to  fifteen  minutes  is 


31 


sufficient  to  deposit  nickel  sufficient  to  polish  nicely 
with  the  use  of  the  cotton  wheel  and  the  nickel  finish- 
ing rouge  made  expressly  for  the  purpose.  The  lathe 
used  for  this  work  is  what  is  known  in  the  trade  as 
the  polishing  lathe  ; the  arbor  is  from  thirty  to  thirty- 
six  inches  long ; on  one  end  is  a course  taper  thread, 
for  the  brush  or  felt  wheels,  on  the  other  is  the  nut 
and  two  flanges  for  holding  the  cotton  and  other 
wheels.  All  supplies  for  this  work  may  be  readily  ob- 
tained by  applying  to  Zucker  & Levett,  540  West  16th 
Street,  New  York.  See  card  in  this  book. 

Batteries,  Groves’  nitro  cromic  or  the  Smee  batteries 
may  be  used  with  one  or  more  cells,  as  the  case  may 
require.  If  a large  number  of  cells  are  required  to  do 
the  work,  they  may  be  replaced  by  the  American  Dyn- 
amo Electric  Machine,  which  is  now  in  use  in  many 
large  establishments,  and  is  highly  recommended  by 
platers  and  others. 

:o: 

Solution  for  Silver  Plating. 

How  to  make  six  gallons  silver  solution : take  5 oz. 
fine  grain  silver,  place  it  in  a large  earthen  bowl ; then 
pour  on  to  it  about  one  half  pint  nitric  acid  ; it  will 
immediately  commence  to  dissolve  ; when  it  is  dissolved 
add  to  the  acid  in  the  bowl  about  three  quarts  water* 
then  dissolve  1 pound  cynide  potassium  in  a separate 
dish  with  a little  warm  water  ; after  it  is  dissolved,  add 
this  to  the  water  and  silver  ; this  precipitates  the  silver 


32 


to  the  bottom  of  the  dish  in  a white,  pulpy  form  ; then 
pour  off  the  water  from  the  silver ; take  the  silver  and 
add  to  it  six  gallons  clean  soft  water,  to  this  add 
about  two  pounds  dissolved  cynide  potassium ; the 
solution  is  then  ready  to  use  as  soon  as  it  becomes 
settled.  The  work  should  be  prepared  the  same  as 
for  nickel  plating.  Silver  plated  work  should  be  bur- 
nished instead  of  polished  unless  the  deposit  is  very 
thick. 


Polishing  Metals, 

The  demand  for  polished  bronze  and  brass  work  is 
very  great  and  constantly  increasing,  especially  for  gas 
fixtures,  mantel  ornaments,  and  a great  variety  of  ar- 
ticles in  metal.  I will,  therefore,  give  the  general 
rules  to  be  observed  in  metal  finishing  or  polishing. 
If  the  article  be  new  castings,  brass  or  zinc,  the  emery 
grinder  with  wooden  wheels,  covered  with  leather  or 
walrus  hide,  then  covered  with  emery,  should  be  used, 
as  my  experience  has  proved  that  wooden  wheels  are 
best  for  such  work.  The  wheels  should  be  made  by 
placing  together  two  or  more  thicknesses  with  the 
grain  crossing  each  other,  to  prevent  warping  or  get- 
ting out  of  true,  they  should  be  either  pinned  or 
screwed  together  with  a coat  of  glue  between  each. 
They  should  then  be  placed  on  the  iron  collars  and 
screwed  fast ; then  place  the  wheel  on  the  arbor  and 
turn  it  off  true  both  on  the  face  and  sides  ; then  glue 
and  peg  on  the  leather,  and  when  dry  again  turn  off 


33 


true  ; then  apply  the  glue,  so  as  to  prevent  its  running; 
then  roll  the  wheel  with  compression  in  the  box  of 
emery.  The  box  should  be  about  four  feet  long  by  five 
inches  wide  and  high.  Wheels  should  stand  six  or 
eight  hours  before  using ; it  is  the  best  way  to  renew 
the  wheels  at  night,  so  they  may  be  ready  for  use  in 
the  morning.  The  grade  of  emery  to  be  used  should 
be  determined  by  the  condition  of  the  article  to  be 
finished  ; if  a large  surface  is  to  be  nut  off,  coarse 
emery  and  large  wheels  should  be  first  used,  then  finer; 
after  the  emery  wheels  have  cut  off  the  rough  surface , 
and  the  deep  scratches  have  been  removed,  it  should 
then  go  to  the  polishing  lathe,  which  is  usually  made 
with  a three  feet  arbor.  The  bristle  brush  should  first 
be  used,  charged  with  the  hard  composition  rouge ; 
after  the  smooth  surface  has  been  obtained  the  cotton 
wheel  should  be  used  with  the  fine  finishing  rouge  ; 
after  the  article  has  received  a high  polish,  it  should  be 
run  through  hot  potash  lye,  and  then  through  sharp 
water,  and  dried  out  with  hot  water  and  sawdust  or 
paper  shavings.  Felt  wheels  are  also  much  used  for 
flat  work.  Lastly,  the  article  should  be  neatly  lac- 
quered. 


:o: 


THE 


<-/iOT  0F  pagE  PflI]MJ46> 

:o: 

OUTSIDE  PAINTING. 

PRIMING  NEW  WOOD  WORK. 

Preparations. — :First,  let  the  wood  get  perfectly  dry 
from  rains,  storms  or  dampness,  tlien  cover  all  the 
knots  and  pitchy  places  with  a varnish  made  of  gum- 
shellac  dissolved  in  alcohol  to  about  the  thickness  of 
molasses.  Apply  the  varnish  with  a small  brush.  It 
dries  very  quick,  and  the  paint  may  then  be  put  on. 

Materials. — The  paint  should  be  the  best  white 
lead  mixed  in  pure  raw  linseed  oil.  Turpentine  may 
be  used  in  winter  to  make  the  paint  work  easy,  as  the 
oil  is  apt  to  chill  and  the  paint  become  thick  and  work 
tough  under  the  brush ; but  in  summer  it  should  not 
be  used  in  priming  but  in  places  where  the  sun  does 
not  reach.  In  winter,  it  will  be  necessary  to  put  in 
litharge,  or  some  other  drier;  but  in  summer,  drier  is 
not  much  needed  for  priming,  for  good  oil  will  dry  of 
itself  in  a day  or  two,  and  if  the  wood  is  seasoned , 
and  as  dry  as  it  should  be,  there  is  not  much  danger  of 
showers  or  storms  washing  off  the  paint,  as  it  will 
mostly  be  absorbed  in  the  surface. 

Mixing. — The  lead  or  zinc  paint  thus  mixed  may  be 
colored  by  the  addition  of  ochre,  Spanish  brown,  etc., 


35 


directions  for  which  will  be  given  nnder  its  proper 
head.  Priming  outside  should  always  be  made  as 
light-colored  as  possible.  If  the  house  or  building  is 
to  be  finished  white,  of  course  the  priming  should  be 
white  ; but  if  it  is  to  be  finished  a brown,  the  priming 
should  be  a light  brown.  The  same  in  regard  to  any 
other  color  intended  to  be  the  finish,  because,  if  this 
rule  is  adhered  to,  the  first  colors  will  not  show  through 
so  soon  by  wear,  or  in  joints  which  may  partially  open 
by  the  weather  ; besides,  a less  quantity  of  paint  is  re- 
quired to  finish  and  cover  ; and  it  is  well  to  have  it 
understood  at  the  beginning,  that  too  much  paint  can 
be  put  on  outside  wood-work — that  is,  it  can  be  put  on 
too  thick  in  any  one  application. 

Brushes. — The  priming  color  should  be  applied  with 
a good  brush  of  the  largest  6 O size,  bridled,  if  a new 
one,  about  one-thircl  the  length  of  the  bristles,  with 
good  twine,  and  as  the  brush  wears,  the  binding  or 
bridle  to  be  taken  off.  Care  should  be  taken  to  use  or 
wear  the  brush  flat  or  wedge-shape  with  a straight  tip. 
This  can  be  done  by  holding  it  always  in  one  position 
in  the  hand.  If  it  is  suffered  to  turn  round,  it  will 
wear  stubby  and  be  unfit  to  do  good  or  smooth  work. 
As  brushes  cost  a good  deal  of  money,  it  is  essential 
that  great  care  should  be  taken  in  their  use  and  in  pre- 
serving them. 

Preserving  Brushes. — If  they  are  in  every-day  use, 
they  should  be  put  every  night  in  water,  standing  them 
very  carefully  in  a tub  or  other  vessel,  and  not  let  the 
water  reach  more  than  half  way  the  length  of  the 
bristles.  But  if  the  painting  is  all  done,  and  the 


36 


brushes  are  yet  good,  they  may  be  preserved  for  a long 
time  by  washing  them  out  clean  in  warm  water  and 
soap,  and  laying  them  away  in  a moist  place.  Care 
should  be  taken,  however,  to  have  all  the  paint  taken 
entirely  out  of  them  by  first  washing  them  thoroughly 
with  turpentine. 

Consistency  of  Paint. — The  paint  should  be  thin 
enough  for  priming  to  work  easy  under  the  brush,  and 
not  run  or  drip  on  the  surface,  as  it  will  if  too  thin. 
It  should  not  be  thick  enough  to  cover  the  grain  of  the 
wood,  for  it  would  be  apt  to  blister  after  a time,  and 
would  work  very  tough  and  hard  while  being  put  on, 
Care  should  be  taken  that  every  potful  of  paint  used 
should  be  of  the  same  consistency,  for  if  one  part  is 
painted  or  primed  with  thick  paint  and  the  other  with 
thin,  it  will  not  be  long  before  it  will  show  in  patches 
and  spots,  which  spoil  the  looks  of  the  building. 

Application. — Apply  the  paint  on  about  a square 
yard  or  more,  without  regard  to  smoothing  it  off,  or  a 
much  larger  space,  according  to  circumstances,  or  as 
far  as  a man  can  well  reach  from  a ladder.  Get  the 
paint  on  evenly,  and  then  commence  to  smooth  or  lay 
it  off,  drawing  the  brush  evenly  and  straightly  across 
the  surface  covered. 

Economy  of  Application. — It  is  notorious  that  many 
good  painters  lose  one-quarter  of  their  time  in  laying 
or  smoothing  off  small  parts  of  their  work.  Instead 
of  covering  a large  surface  as  convenient  evenly  first, 
as  stated  above,  and  then  smoothing  it,  they  actually, 
as  a necessary  consequence  of  their  mode  of  working, 
smooth  or  lay  off  their  work  many  times  over,  because 


37 


if  they  paint  one  board,  for  instance,  and  smooth  it  off, 
as  I have  seen  many  continually  do,  in  covering  the 
next  board  they  rough  up  the  paint  on  the  first,  which 
has  to  be  smoothed  again.  And  so  they  do  their  work 
over  and  over,  and  make  less  headway  than  would  one 
who  understood  the  economy  of  the  method  of  apply- 
ing paint.  1 mention  this  because  I have  suffered 
losses  on  contract  painting  from  this  cause,  and  be- 
cause it  is  proper  that  journeymen  should  be  reminded 
of  these  things,  and  also  that  all  men  employing 
workmen  should  be  able  to  judge  of  their  work. 

Laps. — Laps  are  the  joinings  of  two  applications,  or 
the  edges  of  the  stretch  coming  together  and  forming 
two  coats  wherever  the  lap  is  made.  They  should  be 
avoided,  because  they  present  a very  great  disfigure- 
ment to  the  eye,  and  will  remain  a long  time,  even 
showing  after  the  building  is  several  times  painted. 
It  is  the  best  to  prime  but  a few  boards,  or  a narrow 
space  across  the  building  at  a time,  or,  if  working  on 
ladders  and  not  being  easy  to  move  often,  by  care  in 
rubbing  out  properly  at  the  edges  the  lap  may  be 
avoided.  In  the  joining  of  two  stretches,  much  care 
and  skill  is  required,  or  defects  will  show  when  the 
paint  is  dry  which  did  not  appear  at  the  time  of  apply- 
ing it.  The  brush  must  be  drawn  straight  and  even, 
and  lifted  gradually  and  finely  as  it  reaches  the  extent 
of  the  stretch,  or  the  place  of  joining.  This  is,  how- 
ever, more  particular  in  second  coating,  or  in  finishing. 

Bbushing. — Priming  should  be  rubbed  out  consider- 
ably, not  flowed  on  loosely,  as  it  will  blister  and  run. 
The  brush  should  work  easy,  at  the  same  time  a pres- 


38 


sure  be  exerted  as  if  to  rub  the  paint  into  the  wood. 
The  only  exception  to  this  latter  rule  is  in  priming  over 
spots  which  are  very  open  and  discolored ; then  the 
painter  should  lay  on  more  paint  and  rub  it  out  less ; 
because  such  spots  cannot  be  touched  up  after  the 
work  is  second-coated  or  finished  without  a positive 
disfigurement,  particularly  on  all  colors  except  white. 

Coloring  Materials. — The  best  coloring  in  mixing 
paint  for  priming,  or  for  any  other  painting,  is  pure, 
dry  French  ochre,  Spanish  brown,  Venetian  red,  and 
lampblack  ; with  these  almost  any  desired  color  can  be 
made  with  white  lead  or  zinc.  Umber,  terra  sienna 
Indian  red,  etc.,  are  sometimes  used,  but  they  are  more 
expensive  than  durable ; although  a richer  color  may 
be  obtained  with  them,  yet  in  ordinary  house -painting 
the  richness  is  scarcely  distinguishable  from  work  done 
with  the  first-named  ingredients,  and,  besides,  it  is  not 
by  any  means  so  durable.  The  colors  should  first  be 
broken  or  mixed  up  each  by  itself,  and  added  to  the 
principal  ingredient  in  such  proportions  as  will  pro- 
duce the  color  desired.  First  make  a trial  with  a very 
small  quantity,  in  order  to  get  at  the  color  wanted,  as 
well  as  to  estimate  the  proportion  of  each  color  to 
make  it. 

Pure  Paints. — The  colors  are  better  for  being 
ground  in  a paint-mill.  They  can  be  bought  already 
ground,  but  there  is  a great  deal  of  adulteration  in  the 
manufacture  of  such  paints,  there  being  only  a few  in 
the  business  who  can  be  relied  upon  to  furnish  them 
perfectly  pure  ; and  as  the  prevailing  fashion  of  tints 
in  house-painting  is  such  as  to  require  the  principal 


39 


ingredient  to  be  of  such  coloring,  it  is  essential  that 
they  should  be  pure,  or  the  work  will  not  endure,  but 
fade  and  discolor  very  quickly.  The  advantage  of  the 
best  and  purest  materials  for  painting  is  not  only  in  its 
durability,  but  also  in  its  economy.  The  highest  price 
and  the  best  article  is  the  cheapest  to  the  painter  and 
his  employer  in  all  cases. 

Zinc  Paint. — White  lead,  however,  I should  recom- 
mend as  the  foundation  and  principle  of  all  exterior 
painting. 

System. — In  the  application  of  paint  in  priming,  as 
well  as  finishing,  it  is  essential  that  the  workman 
should  observe  a system  in  order  to  accomplish  as 
much  work  as  possible  in  a given  time  with  the  usual 
amount  of  labor.  Some  men  will  work  very  hard  with- 
out a system,  and  do  a small  day’s  work  ; others  work 
easily  along,  systematically,  and  do  a much  greater 
quantity  of  work,  and  do  it  well.  In  painting  fences, 
railings,  lattices,  or  blinds,  and  other  similar  work,  a 
system  is  absolutely  necessary.  A half-hour’s  experi- 
ence of  the  workman  will  teach  him  the  proper  mode 
on  most  of  such  work  ; but  on  blinds  and  picket  or 
baluster  fence  a few  directions  may  not  be  out  of  place 
here. 

Blinds. — Lay  the  blind  on  trestles  or  on  two  barrels, 
with  the  stick  or  inside  up.  Paint  all  that  can  be 
painted  from  this  side  by  turning  the  slats  to  and  fro, 
but  not  necessarily  reaching  the  brush  through  to  cover 
all  the  slat.  Paint  the  edges  of  the  blind,  and  then 
smooth  off  only  the  stiles  and  stick  ; then  turn  over 
and  cover  what  remains  of  the  slats  and  stiles.  See 


40 


that  the  inside  edges  are  covered  by  running  the  brush 
in  between  the  slats,  also  the  ends  of  the  slats  both 
before  and  after  turning,  as  well  also  as  the  edges  of 
the  slats  ; thus  the  blind  will  be  covered.  Now  pro- 
ceed to  smooth  off  by  reaching  the  brush  carefully 
through  to  the  lower  edge  of  the  slat  and  drawing  it 
evenly  from  end  to  end  ; first  taking  one  side  of  the 
slats,  then  turning  them  down,  holding  them  a little 
open  and  smoothing  off  the  other  side  ; then  smooth 
off  the  stiles,  and  the  blind  is  done.  Stand  it  up  with 
the  inside  out,  in  order  to  touch  up  where  it  rested  on 
the  trestles. 

Fences. — First  paint  the  edges,  both  of  the  pickets 
or  balusters  and  the  rails,  as  well  as  the  edges  of  the 
ribbon-strips  and  bottom-board,  from  the  outside  for 
six  or  seven  feet.  Thus  the  paint  which  gets  on  the 
faces,  in  doing  the  edges,  is  so  much  gain,  and  the 
piece  of  fence  so  begun  is  more  than  half  done,  and 
the  faces  may  then  be  covered  and  smoothed  off  by 
one  stroke  of  the  brush.  The  inside  should  be  done 
last  with  the  posts.  No  piece  of  fence  should  be  left 
unfinished  over  night,  as  the  runs  will  dry  and  look 
bad  when  completed. 

Lattices. — Take  a large  half  worn  brush,  fill  it  full 
of  paint,  and  lodge  it  on  the  work  over  as  much  space 
as  the  brushful  will  cover  ; then  briskly  rub  it  out  over 
the  same,  covering  the  outside  edges,  and  if  the  inside 
cannot  be  done,  cover  the  inside  edges  by  running  the 
brush  through.  If  the  inside  is  to  be  done,  leave  the 
outside  without  smoothing  off  until  the  inside  is  done 


41 


the  same  as  the  outside  ; the  a smooth  off  first  the  in- 
side and  then  the  outside. 

Advantages  of  System. — System  is  essential  in  all 
work,  and  in  every  part.  There  is  a certain  place  to 
begin,  and  a place  to  finish.  On  doors,  architraves, 
panels,  cornices,  etc.  ; the  mouldings,  beads  and  edges 
are  first  to  be  filled  and  covered  ; next,  the  stiles  and 
surrounding  work  over  a considerable  surface,  say  the 
whole  side  of  a door  or  architrave,  without  laying  off 
until  well  covered.  In  painting  first  the  mouldings, 
etc.,  the  other  parts  get  nearly  half  covered;  and  if 
this  system  is  well  and  continually  carried  out,  as  all 
good  workmen  do,  the  result  is  rapid  and  good  work. 
A systematic  workman  will  also  complete  his  work  as 
he  goes  along,  and  not  paint  a patch  here  and  a patch 
there,  as  if  he  had  no  particular  design. 

Drying  Oil. — Sometimes  it  is  necessary  to  prime 
window  frames  and  doors  before  they  are  set  in  the 
building,  and  in  some  cases  the  paint  is  required  to  be 
dry  soon,  that  they  may  be  handled  by  the  carpenters 
or  masons.  In  such  cases  the  priming  phould  be  mix- 
ed with  boiled  oil  and  raw,  in  equal  proportions,  with 
a little  turpentine.  In  any  other  case  where  the  prim- 
ing is  required  to  dry  quickly,  the  paint  may  be  mixed 
in  the  same  manner. 

Dry  Wood. — There  is  no  particular  advantage  gain- 
ed in  priming  directly  after  the  carpenters — that  is, 
priming  as  fast  as  the  work  is  put  up,  unless  it  might 
be  in  very  hot  weather.  It  is  best  to  let  the  work  sea- 
son or  dry  out  free  from  all  dampness  : and  let  it  check 
and  shrink  if  it  will,  so  that  some  of  the  paint  may  be 


42 


absorbed  in  the  surface,  and  the  checks  and  joints  put- 
tied up,  so  that  they  will  not  appear  after  the  work  has 
been  finished,  and  thus  render  it  necessary  to  putty 
and  touch  up  again,  to  the  injury  of  the  work  as  regards 
its  looks.  In  priming  up  to  the  carpenters,  the  work 
is  liable  to  get  full  of  sawdust  and  be  otherwise  dis- 
figured ; besides,  the  painter  will  necessarily  lose 
much  time  in  waiting  and  in  not  having  a straightfor- 
ward job  to  keep  him  for  any  particular  portion  of  a 
day.  If  a small  house,  it  is  better  that  the  carpenter 
were  entirely  finished  and  away,  as  regards  the  outside; 
then  the  priming  can  be  done  quickly  and  cleanly.  On 
a large  house,  it  is  economy  for  all  parties,  as  well  as 
for  the  good  of  the  work,  for  the  painter  to  have  two 
or  three  days’  work  ahead  of  him  until  the  priming  is 
completed.  Some  may  say  that  wood  should  be  prim- 
ed as  soon  as  put  up  in  a building — that  is,  outside — 
to  prevent  it  from  shrinking  and  checking.  My  expe- 
rience has  proved  abundantly  to  me,  that  the  wood 
will  check  and  shrink  by  the  action  of  the  sun’s  rays 
just  as  much  in  that  case,  and  that  it  is  far  better,  for 
the  durability  of  both  wood  and  paint,  to  let  it  get 
air  and  sun  dried  first.  Frequent  wetting  by  rains  will 
not  much,  if  any,  retard  the  process  of  seasoning.  For 
the  same  reasons,  very  little,  if  any  work  should  be 
primed  in  the  carpenter-shop.  In  our  day,  there  is 
little  lumber  that  is  well  seasoned ; and  however  well 
seasoned  it  may  be,  all  builders  know  that  it  is  still  lia- 
able  to  shrink  and  check.  The  manner  in  which  lum- 
ber for  outside  work  is  generally  kept  is  not  such  as 
to  render  it  very  dry  for  use. 


In  finishing  outside  work,  use  white  lead  and  good 
French  zinc  in  equal  parts ; or,  for  white  finish,  zinc 
alone. 


OUTSIDE  PAINTING. 

Drying. — In  summer,  priming  coats  will  be  sufficient- 
ly dry  for  second  coating  in  two  or  three  days  ; but  in 
winter,  a week  at  least  is  required  to  dry  it  hard  enough 
to  apply  another  coat. 

Best  Time  to  Paint. — As  finishing  coats  will  not 
dry  readily  in  winter  if  mixed  with  good  oil  and  with- 
out much  turpentine,  though  with  plenty  of  drier,  I 
would  advise  that  it  be  left  over  January,  February 
and  March.  In  all  other  months,  my  experience  has 
determined  that  it  is  safe  to  apply  finishing  coats  ; but 
the  best  months  for  outside  finishing  and  painting  are 
September,  October  and  November.  In  our  latitude* 
it  frequently  occurs  that  December  is  a very  good 
month  for  it. 

Painting  well  done  with  proper  material,  in  those 
months,  will  endure  longer  than  if  done  in  any  other  ; 
because  the  coats  will  have  all  the  winter  to  harden 
without  being  subject  to  the  heat  of  the  sun  and  the 
warm  showers  of  summer,  which  wear  and  injure  paint 
more  than  anything  else.  Although  convinced  of  the 
above  fact,  yet  the  difference  in  durability  of  good 
paint,  well  applied  in  any  summer  month,  is,  as  far  as 
I have  been  able  to  investigate,  not  of  sufficient  impor- 
tance to  cause  a delay  in  finishing  work  as  soon  as  it 
is  fully  completed  for  painting. 

Nail-Holes,  etc. — Previous  to  applying  the  second 


44 


coat,  the  nail-holes,  joints  and  checks  should  be  well 
puttied  with  putty  colored,  if  the  work  is  to  be  finished 
with  this  coat,  or  any  fancy  color  ; but  if  the  third  coat 
is  to  be  put  on,  then  the  putty  may  be  as  made,  only  a 
little  hardened  with  whiting  in  either  case — presuming 
that  the  putty  is  soft  as  for  glazing,  in  which  state  it 
should  generally  be  kept  for  sale  or  use.  Most  paint- 
ers now-a-days  putty  before  priming  ; this  is  just  as 
well  for  ordinary  work  or  for  white  work  ; but  in  the 
best  buildings,  and  where  fancy  colors  are  to  be  em- 
ployed', it  is  best  to  prime  first,  on  account  of  the  ten- 
dency of  such  colors  to  absorb  heat  from  the  sun  and 
open  the  joints  and  checks,  if  any  ; as  well  as  to  pre- 
vent the  necessity  of  puttying  over  twice,  which  is  fre- 
quently apt  to  occur  if  puttied  before  priming. 

Sand-Papering  and  Cleaning. — Sand-papering  the 
work  before  painting  is  requisite,  particularly  the  rough 
places,  in  order  to  make  it  smooth  and  cleanly  when 
done.  The  dust  should  be  cleaned  from  the  work  and 
swept  some  disfance  away,  so  that  any  little  gust  of 
wind  should  not  blow  it  in  the  paint.  In  windy  weath- 
er, sprinkling,  when  there  is  plenty  of  water  on  hand, 
is  very  serviceable.  In  painting  a nice  front  in  a vil- 
lage where  the  roads  are  most  dusty,  and  the  wind  is 
apt  to  send  the  dust  directly  into  the  paint  from  every 
wagon  that  passes,  it  would  be  well  to  employ  the  vil- 
lage sprinkling  cart,  as  it  often  happens  that  there  is 
one  in  use  ; or  a little  expense  in  wetting  the  road  in 
front  of  the  premises  will  not  be  thrown  away  if  no 
such  convenience  is  to  be  found.  Painters  may  say 
that  this  is  a little  too  nice,  “ too  particular  but  I 


45 


have  always  found  my  account  in  it,  not  so  much  for 
the  “pay”  as  the  satisfaction  of  having  a job  done  as 
well  as  'possible.  It  is  very  seldom,  however,  that  this 
sprinkling  operation  is  necessary,  though  workmen  can- 
not be  too  particular  in  dusting  and  cleaning  their 
work  generally. 

Consistency,  Straining,  etc. — The  paint  for  second 
coating  or  for  finishing  should  be  thicker  than  for  pinn- 
ing, and  should  be  strained.  The  best  strainers  are  of 
tin,  made  somewhat  like  a wash-basin,  with  the  bottom 
of  manufactured  perforated  tin,  which  can  be  procured 
of  different  grades  of  fineness  for  the  purpose. 

Applications,  Rains,  Dews,  etc. — More  care  is  re- 
quired in  applying  these  coats  than  in  priming ; other- 
wise the  same  directions  may  be  followed  generally  ; 
and  to  save  a repetition,  I refer  to  those  respecting 
priming  on  pages  34,  35  and  36.  More  drier  is  also 
required  in  finishing,  because  there  is  less  absorption 
of  paint  in  the  wood,  and  more  danger  of  injury  by  sud- 
den showers  or  storms.  Sometimes  a heavy  dew  will 
injure  fresh  paint  if  not  set ; therefore,  in  painting 
in  such  places  on  a building  as  the  dew  is  likely 
to  hurt,  it  is  prudent  to  do  ib  only  in  the  forepart 
of  the  day  whenever  it  may  be  convenient,  according 
to  the  extent  of  the  job,  etc.  ; for  instance,  always  begin 
to  paint  a piazza  floor,  a roof,  or  anything  similarly  ex- 
posed, in  the  morning,  and  commence  at  that  place 
which  gets  the  least  sun  upon  it.  This  is  a very  im- 
portant rule,  and  I have  seen  much  damage  which 
could  never  be  repaired  result  from  its  neglect,  by  rains 
and  dews  falling  in  the  night  upon  that  part  which  was 


46 


last  done  and  which  had  no  snn  upon  it  all  day ; where- 
as, if  the  painting  had  progressed  round  with  the  snn, 
it  is  almost  certain  that  all  w~ould  have  been  set,  and 
thns  free  from  danger  of  being  spoiled. 

Squaring. — Every  part  or  portion  of  a building  must 
be  finished,  or,  as  the  term  is  “ squared,”  on  the  sama 
day  that  it  is  commenced  ; for  if  it  is  left  not  squared 
over  night,  or  even  for  one  hour,  while  taking  dinner, 
as  it  may  occur  in  warm  weather,  it  will  show  very  bad 
laps,  which  it  is  difficult  if  not  impossible  to  remedy. 

Reference  may  be  made  again  to  page  37,  where 
laps  are  particularly  described,  and  how  to  avoid 
them.  The  same  directions  will  apply  here,  though 
it  is  easier  to  avoid  them  in  the  last  coats. 

Mixing. — Directions  for  mixing  and  coloring  paint 
will  be  found  on  pages  34  and  38  ; those  directions  apply 
equally  to  finishing  as  to  priming — the  use  of  turpen- 
tine, oils,  and  driers  also  included ; only  it  must  be 
remembered  that  the  paint  must  be  a little  thicker,  as 
before  mentioned. 

If  a third  coat  is  intended,  it  is  absolutely  necessary 
to  mix  the  second  coating  with  a good  proportion  of 
turpentine  : in  summer,  it  should  be  about  one-third ; in 
winter,  one-half.  In  repainting  old  work,  sometimes 
more  than  this  proportion  may  be  used. 

Flashing. — The  object  of  this  use  of  turpentine  in 
the  second  coat  when  a third  is  intended,  and  only  in 
such  a case,  is  to  prevent  what  is  called  “ flashing,’ 7 or 
a deadening  of  the  intended  gloss  of  the  third  coat, 
which  totally  spoils  the  looks  of  the  work  for  a long 
time,  though  it  does  not  materially  injure  the  paint  or 


47 


render  it  less  durable.  The  last  coat  should  be  mixed 
with  raw  linseed-oil  alone. 

Blinds,  etc. — The  same  directions  given  for  painting 
blinds,  fences,  lattices,  etc.,  on  pages  39  and  40,  will  be 
observed  here  ; as  well  as  other  directions  elsewhere  in 
regard  to  painting  on  buildings. 

Of  Greens. — Green  paints  require  to  be  ground 
very  fine  in  a good  mill  ; they  must  be  ground  in  raw 
linseed-oil  only,  and  as  thick  as  possible,  and  kept  in 
closed  vessels.  In  using,  they  require  more  carefulness 
of  the  workman  than  the  common  paints.  On  blinds 
and  lattices,  green  should  be  rubbed  out  well  so  as  not 
to  run  or  drip,  and  ought  never  to  be  mixed  with  white 
lead  or  other  paint  where  a good  green  is  desired.  To 
mix  a bronze  green,  add  a little  umber  ground  in  oil.  or 
simple  black , also  ground.  Bronze  color  may  be  varied 
by  the  addition  of  ochre,  lead,  or  other  colors.  A rich 
dark  bronze  can  be  made  by  the  addition  of  Prussian 
blue  ground  in  oil. 

"Where  a very  light  green  is  wanted,  and  where  it 
will  not  be  exposed  to  the  weather,  then  white  lead  or 
zinc  may  be  used  with  it. 

Paris  or  Prench  green  is  very  difficult  to  use  ; it 
should  be  mixed,  for  the  first  two  coats,  with  one-third 
turpentine  and  two-thirds  boiled  linseed  oil,  and  in 
applying  should  be  rubbed  out  harder  than  any  other 
paint,  as  it  is  more  liable  to  drip  or  run. 

Three  coats  of  it  are  necessary  to  a good  finish,  as 
it  is  a very  transparent  paint,  without  body,  and  con- 
sequently will  not  cover  well ; the  third  coat  must  be 


48 


all  oil — that  is,  mixed  with  oil  alone,  boiled  and  raw. 
Priming  for  Paris  green  finish  must  be  a light 
green. 

Crawling. — Painters  sometimes  experience  a diffi- 
culty called  “ crawling,'’  particularly  in  winter  months, 
in  coating  over  a cold  and  glossy  surface.  It  is  a 
tendency  of  the  paint  to  shrink  or  run  away  in  all 
directions,  leaving  numerous  little  round  openings, 
through  to  the  old  coat,  which,  if  left  to  dry  in  that 
condition,  presents  a very  great  disfiguration  of  the 
work.  To  avoid  this,  a slight  rubbing  with  a cloth  or 
the  hand  will  sometimes  do;  but  generally  it  is  effected 
by  hard  rubbing  with  the  brush.  To  guard  against 
it,  the  same  precautions  to  prevent  flashing  may  be 
resorted  to — that  is,  the  use  of  plenty  of  turpentine  in 
the  previous  coat ; which  is  another  case  where  it  may 
be  freely  employed  in  mixing  paint.  In  fact,  turpen- 
tine in  considerable  quantities  may  be  used  in  many 
parts  of  outside  work,  such  as  ceilings,  under  portions 
of  cornices,  and  such  like  places,  but  should  not  be  put 
in  paint  designed  for  parts  that  are  exposed  to  the  snn 
or  weather. 

Brick-work. — In  the  painting  of  brick-work,  the 
same  general  rules  and  directions  are  to  be  observed. 
Bricks,  however,  absorb  more  paint  in  the  first  and 
second  coats  than  wood,  and,  in  finishing,  more  care  is 
required  to  prevent  laps  and  runs.  The  practice  of 
oiling  brick  buildings  with  linseed-oil  by  means  of  a 
sponge  or  brush,  is  good  if  plenty  of  oil  is  absorbed  in 
the  surface,  as  it  has  a tendency  to  shed  the  rain  and 
dews  ; but  painting  is  preferable  for  the  same  end,  even 


49 


if  few  coats  are  applied,  as  it  fills  the  pores  of  the 
brick. 

Sanding  and  Sanders. — Sanding,  which  is  generally 
done  for  the  purpose  of  imitation  of  stone  of  various 
colors,  is  a matter  of  great  utility  and  beauty  in  house- 
painting. If  well  done,  it  will  last  many  years,  and 
need  not  be  repainted  except  to  freshen  the  color  or 
change  it,  or  for  the  purpose  of  cleaning  off  the  stains 
from  dust  which  may  accumulate.  The  sand  should  be 
not  of  the  finest  nor  the  coarsest ; well  dried,  and  sifted 
into  the  third  coat,  if  a new  building,  with  a sander  ; 
the  best  are  made  like  a grocer’s  scoop,  with  the  bev- 
elled part  of  perforated  tin,  the  holes  about  one-six- 
teenth part  of  an  inch  in  size,  and  should  be  made  so  as: 
to  contain,  when  full,  about  four  pounds  of  sand.  They 
are  filled  through  the  handle,  which  is  stopped  with  a 
plug  or  cork  while  using.  Considerable  skill  is  required 
to  perform  this  part  of  the  work,  which  can  be  readily 
acquired  by  a little  practice  in  the  use  of  the  sander. 
Machines  have  been  used  for  sanding  to  a good  advan- 
tage, but  I prefer  the  more  laborious  mode  of  the 
sander,  as  I think  the  work  will  be  better  done  by  it,, 
besides  the  machines  are  very  inconvenient  for  much 
of  the  work  generally  sanded. 

The  paint  into  which  the  sand  is  to  be  sifted  should 
be  mixed  with  nearly  all  oil,  and  put  on  as  carefully  as 
if  for  finishing-coats,  and  the  sand  must  be  applied 
while  it  is  fresh  and  sifted  against  the  surface  as  long- 
as  any  appearance  of  the  oil  remains.  The  workman 
should  examine  carefully  for  any  greasy  spots,  and 
dash  on  the  sand  again  before  allowing  the  paint  to* 


50 


dry  or  set,  even.  Care  must  be  observed  to  keep  the 
painting  stretch,  or  the  edge,  always  beyond  or  out  of 
the  way  of  the  dashing  or  falling  of  the  sand,  for  if  the 
brush  comes  in  contact  with  the  sanded  part,  the  work 
will  be  unavoidably  disfigured  or  spoiled. 

One  sanding  is  seldom  sufficient  for  a good  solid 
look  of  the  work  ; a second  sanding  in  the  same  man- 
ner, after  the  first  is  thoroughly  dry,  is  more  easily 
accomplished,  though  the  application  of  the  paint  is 
more  difficult.  For  the  second  sanding,  the  paint 
should  be  a little  thinner  than  for  the  first.  These 
directions  apply  as  well  for  wood  as  for  brick-work. 

Lining. — Lining  in  imitation  of  brick  is  done  with 
white,  by  means  of  flat  brushes  made  expressly  for 
that  purpose,  called  “trenches”  or  “liners.”  Where 
the  joints  are  even  and  smooth,  the  lining  may  be  done 
by  an  experienced,  workman  without  a straight-edge  or 
rule  ; but  for  rough  work  those  aids  are  quite  neces- 
sary. Lining  in  imitation  of  stone  i?  done  in  the  same 
manner  with  sometimes  white,  at  others  of  various 
colors,  according  to  taste,  etc.  The  size  of  the  block 
represented  varies  also  according  to  the  taste  or  gen- 
eral design.  Small  buildings  or  small  portions  of  the 
same  should  be  lined  to  represent  small  blocks,  say 
from  ten  to  twelve  inches  wide  and  from  twenty-five  to 
thirty-five  inches  in  length.  If  the  building  or  space 
be  larger,  the  blocks  may  be  increased  in  size  ; but  the 
smaller  will  answer  for  most  work.  In  lining,  great 
<?are  is  needed  to  avoid  the  slipping  of  the  brush  from 
the  direct  course,  as  in  remedying  such  slips,  the  spots 
will  unavoidably  remain  and  look  bad  for  some  time. 


51 


In  lining  on  sanded  work,  the  lines  should  first  be  laid 
out  by  a clialk-line  or  lead-pencil  and  a rule ; then  the 
lines  should  be  first  traced  with  a dull  instrument  of 
iron  or  steel,  to  remove  or  flatten  the  sand  ; then  the 
color  may  be  put  in  the  line  thus  made,  by  the  liner,  or 
a flat  brush  called  a “ Fitch,”  and  should  be  done  with 
a careful  hand  to  prevent  slips,  which  in  this  case  are 
more  difficult  to  remedy  than  in  plain  work. 

Blocking  or  Shading  in  Imitation  or  a Stone. — 
Sometimes  an  imitation  of  stone  of  various  colors  or 
shades  of  color  is  required.  This  is  done  by  first 
lining  with  the  lead-pencil,  and  then  painting  the 
blocks  different  shades.  Three  shades  or  colors  are 
generally  used,  and  they  should  be  put  on  in  regular 
succession  and  system,  for  if  no  system  is  observed  in 
coloring,  the  job  will  not  look  well ; but  with  it  the 
work  has  a very  pleasing  effect  on  the  eye.  though  the 
system  does  not  appear  useless  it  is  observed  very 
closely  by  a spectator.  It  is  a good  plan  to  number 
the  colors  on  the  pots  or  kegs,  and  the  blocks  designed 
to  receive  each,  as  it  prevents  mistakes,  which  are 
likely  to  occur  on  this  kind  of  work.  Blocking  may  be 
left  plain  or  sanded,  as  any  other  kind  of  work ; but  if 
sanded,  it  will  last  much  longer — in  fact,  sanded  work, 
as  before  stated,  will  last  many  years  ; painters  fre- 
quently say,  without  much  exaggeration,  that  it  lasts 
*“  forever.”  Blocking  is  sometimes  made  to  represent 
veined  stone,  or  clouded — such  as  blue  granite  with 
veins  of  quartz,  or  brown  stone  with  dark  or  light 
shades — and  requires  some  artistic  skill  to  accomplish, 
both  as  regards  the  colors  or  shades  to  be  used,  and  in 


52 


applying  them.  The  veining  or  shading  should  be  put 
in  the  blocks  while  the  paint  is  yet  wet,  particularly  if 
the  work  is  to  be  sanded  ; in  any  case,  they  will  blend 
in  better  and  present  a more  natural  appearance; 
though  in  sanded  work  the  shading  colors  should  be 
more  definite,  more  distinct,  and  blended  in  a little  less, 
than  for  work  to  be  left  without  the  sand. 

Tin  and  Ikon  Work. — Tin  and  iron  work  never  re- 
quire more  than  two  coats,  as  there  is  no  absorption  ; it 
should  not  be  put  on  as  thick  as  on  wood  or  brick,  but 
should  be  applied  as  carefully  and  rubbed  out  more* 
because  it  is  more  apt  to  blister  if  put  on  thick.  One 
coat  well  applied,  and  mixed  a little  thicker  than  for 
two,  is  very  frequently  sufficient  for  old  iron  or  tin 
work  if  the  old  paint  is  not  very  much  worn ; and  the 
same  may  be  said  in  regard  to  wood  or  brick  work, 
under  like  circumstances  ; but  it  is  well  to  understand 
that  the  paint  must  be  mixed  particularly  to  be  used  as. 
a priming  or  as  a finishing  coat ; though  there  may  be 
portions  of  the  work  that  will  take  a second  or  finish- 
ing coat  after  the  one  coat  is  dry,  and  wThich  may  not- 
look  as  well  as  other  portions.  New  iron  work  should^ 
first  of  all,  receive  a good  priming  of  pure  red-lead  with- 
out adulteration,  mixed  with  two  thirds  boiled  linseed- 
oil  and  one  third  turpentine.  This  coating  will 
effectually  prevent  the  rusting  of  the  metal,  if  well  put. 
on.  I have  heard  that  some  other  “ mineral’.’  paints; 
would  accomplish  the  same,  but  I have  never  been 
willing  to  risk  the  trial. 

Stopping. — Long  joints  in  ceilings,  floors  and  other 
places,  if  to  be  puttied,  should  first  have  some  paint 


53 


put  into  them  in  priming,  and  then  when  dry  filled  up 
<even  and  tight ; if  the  putty  should  fall  through  the 
joint  or  crack,  it  can  be  stopped  by  first  cutting  or 
ragging  the  inner  edge  with  the  knife. 

Tacking. — In  painting  stoop  and  piazza  floors,  it 
frequently  happens  that,  in  consequence  of  too  much 
oil  being  used  in  mixing  the  paint,  it  has  a tendency  to 
4<  tack,”  or  remain  soft  on  the  surface  for  a long  time, 
allowing  the  feet,  a chair,  or  a mat  to  stick  to  it,  and  if 
the  floors  are  much  used  soon  after  painting,  the  work 
will  be  utterly  spoiled.  Sometimes  this  is  attributable 
to  the  adulteration  of  linsecd-oil,  which  it  is  difficult 
for  painters  to  guard  against,  particularly  in  summer, 
as  some  merchants  will  mix  an  inferior  oil — fish-oil 
sometimes,  or  rapeseed-oil — with  the  pure  linseed,  and 
thus  spoil  it  for  such  work.  Although  I am  certain 
that  adulterated  oil  will  produce  this  defect  more  than 
good,  yet  I am  inclined  to  attribute  it  more  to  the  heat 
of  the  atmosphere  keeping  the  surface  of  the  paint 
soft.  As  it  is  only  in  the  hottest  summer  months  that 
this  difficulty  occurs,  I have  therefore  often  recom- 
mended that  such  floors,  where  much  used,  should  not 
be  finished  in  June,  July,  and  August. 

Dust  on  Fronts. — From  the  same  causes,  the  fronts 
of  houses  near  dusty  roads,  are  frequently  covered 
with  a coat  of  dust,  which  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
wash  off.  Painters  can  easily  detect  the  adulteration 
in  oil,  and  it  is  to  their  interest  to  buy  only  of  those 
merchants  who  are  respectable  and  sustain  a reputa- 
tion for  superior  goods,  though  their  prices  may  be 
higher  than  others. 


54 


Beginning  to  Bepaint. — In  commencing  to  repaint  a 
house  of  much  size,  the  blinds  should  be  marked  or 
numbered,  with  a corresponding  number  on  the  side  of 
the  window,  of  sufficient  plainness  to  be  distinguished 
through  the  paint,  and  taken  to  a convenient  place, 
where  they  may  be  free  from  dust  or  weather,  and 
painted  during  rainy  days,  if  there  happens  to  be  no 
other  inside  work,  so  that  they  may  be  ready  to  hang 
up  again  when  the  house  is  done.  If  the  blinds  do 
not  require  painting,  they  should  be  removed  for  a 
time  from  the  rest  of  the  work,  as  they  are  apt  to  get 
spattered,  and  also  will  not  be  in  the  way  of  facilitating 
the  other  painting.  Begin  at  the  top  and  on  the  most 
difficult  and  dangerous  part  of  the  building  and  work 
downward,  and  square  at  night,  or  on  other  occasions 
when  leaving,  as  mentioned  before.  Never  begin  the 
second  coat  or  finishing  until  the  first  is  complete  on 
every  part  of  the  house  ; finish  stoop-floors,  however, 
as  soon  as  opportunity  occurs,  and  if,  when  the  finish- 
ing-coat is  completed,  the  blinds  shall  have  been  fin- 
ished and  thoroughly  dry,  they  have  only  to  be  put  in 
their  places,  and  the  painter  will  have  no  occasion  to 
send  a man  to  touch  up  and  finish  little  portions  which 
may  have  been  delayed  by  a neglect  of  a straightfor- 
ward system.  Thus  with  two  or  three  workmen,  a 
large  house  may  be  thoroughly  repainted  on  the  out- 
side in  a few  days,  and  its  occupants  will  scarcely 
realize  that  they  have  been  troubled  by  painters,  ex- 
cept in  the  improved  appearance  which  it  presents. 

Disposition'  of  Colors. — In  fancy  colors,  the  trim- 
mings, such  as  cornices,  frame?,  stiles,  columns,  and 


55 


other  projections,  should  invariably  be  of  the  darker 
colors,  and  all  siding,  clapboards,  filling,  such  a& 
panels,  recesses,  and  other  light  surfaces,  should  be  of 
the  light  color.  Window-sashes  look  best  of  a dark 
green,  or  an  imitation  of  some  dark  wood,  such  as  dark 
oak,  black-walnut,  or  mahogany. 

Blinds  should  vary  in  color  according  to  the  style  or 
the  architecture.  For  a Gothic  house,  they  ought  to> 
be  of  a shade  between  the  trimming  and  the  body,  and 
may  be  improved  by  having  the  panels  light  and  stiles 
dark.  For  those  of  the  Italian  and  other  similar 
styles,  particularly  when  highly  ornamental,  or  having 
high  towers,  the  same  colors  must  be  used.  Some- 
times those  styles  of  building,  particularly  if  extensive 
and  imposing,  look  best  of  one  color  only ; it  should 
not  be,  however,  a very  dark  one,  and  in  that  case  the 
blinds  should  be  of  the  same.  In  some  circumstances, 
the  Gothic  looks  well  painted  a dark  stone  color  ; for 
instance,  when  surrounded  with  large  trees,  or  in  a city 
or  town.  Small  cottage  buildings  of  either  of  the 
above-named  styles,  in  whatever  location  or  circum- 
stances, look  as  well  with  green  blinds  ; and  it  is  the 
best  color  for  blinds  of  almost  all  other  styles  of 
houses.  The  green  should  be  kept  as  pure  and  rich 
as  possible ; light  for  white  and  light-colored  houses,, 
and  darker  for  houses  of  a more  sombre  color.  A 
heavy  dark-green  on  a white  or  light-colored  house,  I 
think , looks  bad.  At  a distance,  one  thinks  they  are 
painted  black,  as  if  the  house  were  in  mourning. 
Blinds  painted  any  other  colors  than  green  or  the  color 
of  the  house,  as  directed  above,  never  have  a pleasing 


56 


<effect.  This  does  not  apply  to  blinds  lmng  upon  the 
inside,  which  may  be  painted  any  light  color. 

The  color  of  out-houses,  such  as  barns,  coach-houses, 
etc.,  and  fences,  should  correspond  generally  with  the 
-colors  of  the  main  building.  Some  exceptions  may  be 
made,  however,  as  in  towns  and  villages ; if  the  house 
is  white,  the  out-houses  may  be  of  any  color.  This,  in 
most  cases,  may  be  left  to  the  taste  and  judgment  of 
the  owner  or  the  painter,  being  particular  always  to 
keep  to  uniformity.  Dwelling-houses  and  out-houses 
of  the  ordinary  styles  sometimes  look  very  well 
trimmed  with  white  when  the  main  body  is  of  the 
lighter  drabs  or  browns,  and  some  of  the  more  orna- 
mental styles  will  look  well  done  in  the  same  way  ; but 
this  fashion  is,  of  late  years,  giving  way  to  the  more 
sombre  tints. 

In  painting  a new  building,  or  any  portions  of  it,  or 
any  work  designed  to  be  finished  with  fancy  colors, 
time  can  be  saved  by  priming  all  with  one  color  or 
shade.  Two  shades  must  be  used  in  priming  when  the 
finish  is  designed  to  be  of  colors  in  which  the  contrast 
is  decided — that  is,  of  colors  or  shades  which  are  very 
different  from  each  other. 

Saving  of  Time. — Much  time  may  be  saved  in  prim- 
ing buildings  by  making  use  of  scaffolding  of  the  car- 
penters or  masons,  as  the  work  can  be  done  quicker 
and  better,  particularly  if  it  is  very  high.  Cornices,  in 
that  case,  should  be  finished  from  the  scaffold  ; and  in 
sanding,  particularly,  the  advantage  is  great,  as  it  can 
be  done  in  half  the  time,  and  as  not  much  of  the  sand 
gets  in  the  paint,  it  can  be  saved  more  easily  by 


57 


spreading  cloths  for  that  purpose  ; besides,  it  is  very 
difficult  to  do  it  well  from  ladders. 

Cleet-Spots. — Cleets,  or  pieces  of  board  or  plank, 
nailed  to  the  building  for  the  purpose  of  securing  the 
scaffolding,  should  be  removed  before  the  priming  gets 
dry,  and  the  spots  thus  left  painted  carefully  over ; for 
if  the  spots  are  left,  by  leaving  those  cleets  on  until 
the  coat  is  dry,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  prevent  them 
showing  and  presenting  a great  disfiguration,  even 
after  several  coats  have  been  applied.  But  it  fre- 
quently happens  that  the  cleets  must  be  left ; in  that 
case,  by  great  care  in  covering,  the  spots  may  be  so 
painted  as  not  to  show  much. 

Ladders. — Good  ladders  are  a very  essential  means 
in  house-painting  to  facilitate  the  work  ; for  with  bad 
or  unsafe  ones,  or  those  of  unsuitable  lengths  the  work- 
man cannot  get  along  very  well.  They  should  be  made 
of  good,  straight,  clear  spruce  stiles,  and  oak  or  ash 
rounds,  strengthened  with  iron  rods,  about  three  to 
each  of  the  long  ones,  and  when  not  in  use  must  be 
laid  up  on  trestles  together,  level  and  straight,  and 
should  be  kept  well  painted  and  wedged  up  in  the 
rounds. 

The  workman  should  stand  his  ladder  as  near  the 
work  or  as  straight  against  the  building  as  possible 
and  consistent  with  his  safety  upon  it,  so  as  to  be  able 
to  reach  more  work  and  not  have  to  move  it  so  often. 
Always  see  that  the  work  under  and  near  the  top  of 
the  ladder  is  well  smoothed  or  well  laid  off,  even  if  it 
is  necessary  to  move  the  ladder  to  the  right  or  left  to 
do  it,  for  it  cannot  be  well  done  with  the  ladder  in  the 


58 


way.  Much  care  is  required  in  avoiding  marks  of  the 
ladder ; in  this,  a skilful  handling  is  needed.  If  the 
ground  is  uneven,  blocking  of  boards  or  any  thing 
suitable  may  be  used,  but  caution  is  essential. 

Ladders  should  never  be  left  standing  at  the  work 
after  the  workmen  have  left,  unless  secured  by  ropes 
or  other  means,  for  a sudden  gust  of  wind  may  pros- 
trate and  shatter  them,  and  render  them  unsafe  or  unfit 
for  use. 

Fat  Paints. — Paints  mixed  for  outside  work,  if  al- 
lowed to  stand  for  some  time,  become  fatty,  and  are 
only  fit  to  use  on  rough  boards,  in  gutters,  or  some 
such  work ; for  its  tendency  to  run  and  drip,  on  ac- 
count of  the  fatty  nature,  is  such  as  to  be  incurable, 
and  is  sure  to  spoil  any  good  work  upon  which  it  is 
applied.  It  should  be  used  up  in  four  weeks  at  least. 
Also,  paint  mixed  for  outside  work  should  never  be 
used  inside  ; there  may  be  exceptions,  but  it  is  best  to 
follow  strictly  this  rule. 

Poors. — Roof-painting,  more  especially  tin  roof,  has 
of  late  become  a very  important  consideration. 

There  are  some  of  the  so-called  mineral  and  metallic 
paints  and  other  roof  compositions  that  are  very  good ; 
but  my  experience  has  convinced  me  that  there  is  no 
better  paint  for  tin  roof  than  the  common  Spanish 
brown,  Venetian  red,  and  yellow  ochre,  mixed  with 
pure  raw  linseed-oil ; or,  what  is  better  than  linseed 
alone,  is  a mixture  of  equal  portions  of  that  and  a 
good  fish-oil,  which  does  not  dry  hard  and  render  the 
surface  brittle  as  linseed-oil  does,  but  is  consequently 
less  liable  to  dry  up  or  crack  with  the  ordinary  expan- 


59 


sion  and  contraction  of  the  metal  under  it.  This  ex- 
pansion and  contraction  is  caused  by  heat  and  cold, 
and,  if  the  paint  is  thick,  hard,  and  brittle,  it  has  a 
tendency  to  break  the  joints  in  the  roofing,  even  where 
thickly  or  strongly  soldered,  thereby  causing  leaks. 
If  the  roof- paint  is  very  dark,  or,  as  may  frequently  be 
seen,  black,  the  effect  of  the  heat  is  increased  and  felt 
in  summer,  not  only  on  the  roof  and  under  it,  but  over 
the  whole  building.  Therefore  I would  almost  insist 
on  painting  roofs  a light  color — say  with  good  French 
ochre,  which  would  look  well  on  some  kinds  of  build- 
ings, or  with  zinc  stained  to  represent  the  color  of  light 
slate  or  sheet  zinc.  Roofs  which  do  not  show  might 
be  painted  white.  Ice-house  roofs,  by  all  means, 
should  be  a very  light  color,  if  not  white.  But  most 
of  the  trouble  with  tin  roofs  originate  from  the  imper- 
fect or  unskilful  manner,  or  both,  of  their  joinings  with 
the  brick  and  wood  work ; around  chimneys  and  in 
places  where  the  brick  or  wood  work  extends  above 
the  roof,  the  tin  has  to  be  let  in,  and  secured  with 
wedges  or  nails,  and  is  often  merely  plastered  or 
pointed  with  a cement,  which  soon  falls  out,  particu- 
larly if  the  wedging  is  not  well  done,  and  the  conse- 
quence is  a flooding  of  the  interior  of  the  house 
whenever  a storm  arises.  Buildings  which  have  much 
top-work,  such  as  balustrades,  blocking  courses,  obser- 
vatories, and  such  like  embellishments,  are  very  apt  to 
have  the  tin  roof-work  perforated  with  nails  in  places 
which  cannot  be  reached  ; this,  however,  may  be  only 
on  such  buildings  as  are  put  up  in  a great  hurry  by 
contract  under  a ruinous  competition.  The  best  ma- 


60 


terial  for  jointing  on  tin  roofs,  after  the  wedging  is 
done,  is  paint-skins  boiled  np  and  ground  or  chopped 
fine,  and  mixed  with  a little  sand  to  thicken  it  like 
cement. 

Fish-oil  is  perhaps  the  best  for  all  kinds  of  roofs,  but 
the  difficulty  is  its  drying.  If  on  tin,  it  gets  the  surface 
of  the  paint  skinned  over  before  a rain — then  it  is 
safe  ; but  there  is  danger  of  its  washing  oyer  other 
parts  of  the  house  and  spoiling  other  work.  If  a roof 
is  safely  done  with  paint  mixed  with  fish-oil  alone,  it 
will  last  a much  longer  time  than  any  other  paint. 
Shingle-roof,  if  painted  at  all,  should  be  painted  with 
it ; but  any  kind  on  them  should  be  applied  much 
thinner  than  paint  for  priming,  for,  if  the  paint  is 
thick,  it  will  hold  in  the  joints  and  dry  there,  forming 
places  to  retain  the  water  longer  on  the  roof  and  caus- 
ing rot. 

Tin  roofs  are  sometimes  striped  with  two  or  more 
colors  or  shades,  but  do  not  look  very  well  except  on 
lightly  constructed  veranda  or  such  like  roof. 

Farm  and  Garden  Implements. — Farm  and  garden 
implements  being  nnlch  exposed  to  the  weather  are 
preserved  longer  by  being  painted.  Carts,  wagons? 
ploughs,  harrows,  barrows,  etc.,  may  be  coated  with 
the  brown  or  ochre,  as  mentioned  for  roof-paint,  and 
mixed  with  linseed-oil,  about  the  same  thickness  as  for 
tin  roofs. 

Taste  may  be  displayed  in  painting  the  bodies  of 
wagons  and  carts  a different  color  from  the  other  parts, 
and  blacking  the  iron-work,  etc. 

Zinc  Drier. — As  I have  recommended  zinc  paint  for 


61 


all  outside  painting,  it  is  as  well  to  state  in  regard  to  it 
that  it  requires  a stronger  drier.  A patent  liquid  drier 
is  manufactured  and  sold  for  zinc,  which,  if  of  good 
quality,  is  very  well  adapted  for  it.  Although  zinc 
needs  more,  or  a stronger  drier,  it  is  not  so  liable  to  be 
washed  or  injured  by  rain  as  the  paints  mixed  of  white- 
lead  and  other  materials.  But  as  it  is  difficult  to  get 
driers  strong  or  good  enough  to  dry  properly  paint 
mixed  with  unboiled  linseed-oil,  particularly  in  cold 
weather,  it  is  as  well  to  depend  upon  the  old  method 
of  drying  with  litharge,  which  can  easily  be  procured 
of  good  quality. 

Boiled  Oil. — Boiled  oil  is  used  for  the  purpose  of 
quick  drying  and  a good  gloss  by  most  painters,  and 
where  those  results  alone  are  wanted  it  is  undoubtedly 
the  best.  But,  as  durability,  in  my  estimation,  is  far 
more  important,  pure  raw  linseed-oil  is  much  better. 
If  the  gloss  is  not  quite  so  brilliant  when  the  work  is 
just  finished,  it  keeps  its  freshness  and  color  a much 
longer  time.  I consider  that  in  boiling  oil,  just  one 
half,  if  not  more,  of  its  real  virtue  as  oil  is  destroyed  ; 
I would  rather  let  the  sun  and  weather  have  their  own 
time  to  boil  it  after  it  is  on  the  work.  I have  had 
painting  outside  stand  and  look  well  twice  as  long  as 
others,  and  no  other  cause  can  be  assigned  for  it  but 
the  use  of  unboiled  oil  in  my  work  ; and  the  risk  of 
injury  by  rain  or  dust  has  certainly  been  no  more. 
Boiled  oil  should  be  used  only  in  the  case  mentioned 
above,  or  for  inside  work  as  hereafter  directed,  and 
machinery,  sign,  ornamental,  and  carriage  painting — in 
fact,  for  almost  any  kind  but  outside  finishing. 


there  is  a good  deal  of 


Cheap  Oils. — Of  late  years 
cheap  oil  made  and  offered  for  sale,  and  highly  recom- 
mended for  roof  and  iron  work,  as  well  as  for  rough 
work  generally  ; but  as  such  oils  contain  more  or  less 
of  resin  and  similar  substances  which  have  a much 
greater  tendency  to  crack,  become  brittle,  or  dry 
quickly  into  powder  than  boiled  or  raw  linseed,  I think 
it  unsafe  to  employ  them  on  any  work.  They  may, 
however,  answer  very  well  for  old  or  rough  out-honses, 
fences,  and  such  like  work,  where  durability  is  not  an 
essential  requisite. 

Cheap  Patent  Compositions. — There  are  also  various 
recipes  for  compositions  which  cost  a mere  trifle  and 
recommended  as  very  good  and  durable  for  many  kinds 
of  work  ; but  as  they  are  certain  to  quickly  impair  or 
wash  off  by  the  action  of  the  weather,  I believe  that 
they  are  of  no  real  advantage  or  benefit  to  the  painter 
or  his  employer.  Besides,  sometimes  it  is  almost  im- 
possible to  paint  over  them  with  good  paint,  or,  if 
possible,  the  cost  is  rendered  nearly  double.  Any 
composition  or  mixture  designed  to  cheapen  the  article 
of  paint  never  works,  in  the  long  run,  to  the  pecuniary 
good  of  the  painter.  The  extra  time  required  to  pre- 
pare and  apply  them,  and  the  general  unsatisfactory 
appearance  and  rapid  deterioration  of  the  work,  as 
also  the  extra  quantity  necessary,  and  damage  to 
reputation,  render  it  by  no  means  a desirable  or  money- 
making business.  Extreme  competition  in  places 
where  there  are  many  painters  sometimes  compels 
them  to  use  various  means  to  under-work  each  other, 
consequently  the  quality  of  the  work  must  suffer. 


i 


63 


Under  such  circumstances,  it  is  well,  it  is  important,  for 
those  requiring  any  kind  of  work  to  be  done,  to  appre- 
ciate those  who  have  the  best  reputation,  or  indicate,  in 
their  dealings  and  intercourse  generally,  thQ  most 
uprightness  and  the  most  independence  of  such  com- 
petition, which  alone  has  caused  so  much  distrust  and 
suspicion  of  this  very  useful  profession. 

Sash-Painting. — The  painting  of  window  and  other 
sash,  in  house-painting,  is  one  of  the  most  difficult  and 
important  of  outside  work  ; and  on  the  neatness  with 
which  it  is  done  depends,  in  a great  measure,  the  beauty 
of  the  whole  job.  A small  brush  or  “ sash  tool”  is  used 
for  this  purpose,  and  is  seldom  required  for  any  other 
part  of  ordinary  house-painting,  and  much  skill,  and  a 
little  regard  to  the  system  before  mentioned,  is  re- 
quired to  make  rapid  headway  in  this  part  of  the 
work,  which  is  considered  quite  tedious  ; but  as  the 
kind  and  style  of  sash  are  so  various,  the  workman 
must  exercise  his  ingenuity  and  judgment  in  regard  to 
it,  rather  than  depend  upon  any  directions  which  may 
be  given.  Where  blinds  are  closed  most  of  the  time, 
one  coat  is  sufficient,  or  if  a second  coat  is  necessary, 
generally  the  large  parts  only  require  it.  The  color 
for  sash  depends  generally  on  the  color  of  the  house, 
though  the  dark  colors,  such  as  bronze  green,  or  imita- 
tions of  some  dark  wood,  such  as  dark  oak  or  black- 
walnut,  may  look  well  on  a house  of  any  color  or 
style,  and  in  case  they  are  concealed  mostly  by  blinds, 
they  can  be  white. 

Hot-Houses. — In  painting  liot-house  or  green-house 
sashes,  when  new,  care  must  be  taken  that  the  wood  is 


64 


perfectly  dry,  as  they  are  liable  to  be  wet  from  heavy 
dews  or  from  the  condensation  of  the  vapor  rising 
inside.  Paint  applied  to  wet  wood  outside  is  sure  to 
peel  or  blister.  Where  it  is  convenient,  always  finish 
the  inside  of  such  sashes  before  the  glass  is  set,  for  it 
takes  four  times  as  long  to  do  it  after  ; and  if  the 
glaziers  will  be  a little  careful,  they  need  not  injure  the 
paint  in  the  least,  even  where  they  have  to  bed  or 
back -putty  the  lights. 

The  putty  part  of  sashes  should  be  painted  within 
one  week  after  being  exposed  to  the  weather,  as  a skin 
forms  upon  it  very  soon,  and  the  paint  will  not  take  so 
well,  and  is  liable  to  peel  off.  Sashes  exposed  all  the 
time  to  the  weather  require  to  be  kept  well  painted — 
not  with  a very  thick  paint,  however,  as  that  has  a 
tendency  to  crack  and  peel ; and  they  should  be  primed 
in  grooves  made  for  the  glass. 

Glazing. — Glazing  belongs  mostly  in  our  day  and 
country  to  the  sash-maker,  and  perhaps  it  may  be  well 
to  omit  any  reference  to  it  here,  except  the  repairing, 
which  the  painter  generally  has  to  do.  And  here  let 
me  give  a little  advice  to  those  who*  may  need  to  send 
to  the  glazier  on  a cold  winter  day,  or  in  summer,  when 
he  may  be  hurried  with  work,  to  set  a light  or  lights  of 
glass  ; and  that  is,  to  measure  with  a rule  the  exact 
width  and  length  of  each  light,  being  particular  to 
measure  so  as  to  include  the  space  where  the  putty 
lays,  or  the  measure  may  be  taken  on  the  inside  from 
the  narrow  edge  of  the  bars,  which  is  the  same  on  most 
sash  as  the  space  outside  filled  with  the  glass  ; write 
the  measure  down  plainly  so  that  there  may  be  no 


65 


mistake,  and  yon  will  save  the  glazier  much  unneces- 
sary trouble  and  risk  of  breakage ; for,  if  he  sends  a, 
boy  to  do  it,  the  chances  are  that  the  work  will  not  be 
well  done,  that  more  lights  will  be  broken  than  new 
ones  set,  as  no  place  to  cut  them  can  be  found  as  good 
as  the  shop-board  ; or  the  diamond  may  be  spoiled  by 
an  unskilful  hand,  or  the  lights  taken  may  all  be  too 
small  or  too  large.  So,  under  these  disadvantages,  and 
others,  such  as  distance  and  weather,  a man,  or  the 
boss  himself,  would  be  likely  to  make  equally  as  bad  a. 
job,  and  suffer  much  loss  through  not  getting  suffi- 
ciently remunerated,  or  not  having  the  heart  to  charge 
as  much  as  the  job  is  really  worth.  All  this  difficulty 
is  avoided  by  sending  the  exact  measure  and  number 
of  lights  ; besides  the  glazier  will  be  more  ready,  more 
prompt,  and  more  reasonable  in  the  charge. 

The  old  putty  must  be  removed  with  a sharp  chisel 
or  a stout  knife,  very  carefully,  not  cutting  away  or 
splitting  the  sash.  After  cleaning  out  every  particle  of 
the  old  glass  and  putty,  the  new  light  should  be  set  in 
with  the  bow  or  rounded  side  out,  and  tinned  in  with 
at  least  four  points*  or  more,  according  to  the  size  of 
the  light ; the  putty  then  may  be  put  on,  taking  care 
that  its  edge  on  the  glass  is  even  with  the  wood  inside 
and  straight  and  clean  ; then  clean  off  with  a duster 
and  whiting,  or,  if  that  is  not  handy,  a soft  cloth  will 
do  if  used  carefully  so  as  not  to  disturb  the  putty. 
Nothing  looks  worse  or  is  a greater  eyesore  than  a, 
botched  job  of  glazing ; therefore,  I have  been  thus 
particular  over  what  many  may  think  a matter  of 
trifling  importance. 


66 


Blisteks. — Bad  blisters  in  tlie  paint  on  front  doors, 
vestibules,  and  such  like  places  where  the  sun  concen- 
trates its  rays  the  most,  are  caused  by  little  spots  of 
pitch  in  various  parts  of  the  wood- work  being  acted 
upon  by  the  heat,  forming  a gas,  which  raises  the 
paint.  There  are  several  remedies  for  this  : one  is,  to 
see  that,  in  making  the  door  or  other  part  so  exposed 
to  the  sun,  the  wood  contains  no  particle  of  the  pitch. 
Sometimes  these  spots  of  pitch  are  very  tine  and 
diffused  throughout  a whole  plank,  so  that  ordinary 
scrutiny  fails  to  detect  them,  yet  they  produce  bad 
blisters  when  exposed  to  heat.  Some  plank  contain  no 
such  spots  or  pitchy  grain,  and  such  only  should  be 
used  for  the  work  before  mentioned.  Such  portions  of 
work  generally  get  more  frequently  painted ; and  the 
thicker  the  paint,  the  more  it  will  blister.  If  an  old 
door,  rubbing  down  to  the  wood  will  not  remedy  the 
evil,  for  the  cause  is  still  there.  In  that  case,  or  when 
it  is  found  that  there  is  pitch  in  the  wood,  the  other 
remedy  is  to  keep  it  painted  white  or  light  as  possible, 
and  the  coats  as  thin  as  can  be  put  on.  Doors,  etc.,  on 
the  south  side  of  a street,  or  in  situations  where  there 
is  but  little  sun,  may  be  made  of  any  quality  of  wood, 
or  painted  any  color,  or  as  thick  as  it  may  be  put  on, 
and  no  blistering  will  occur.  Coats  of  paint  or  varnish 
may  be,  however,  too  thick  in  either  case.  There  is 
scarcely  any  varnish  made  that  will  stand  on  a front 
door,  particularly  if  put  on  thick.  It  is  better,  in  both 
instances,  where  such  work  requires  repainting  or 
varnishing,  to  do  it  often  and  very  thinly. 

Bubbing  Down. — Bubbing  down,  being  referred  to 


67 


above,  is  often  required  where  paint  or  varnish  be- 
comes cracked  or  burned  by  exposure ; ifc  is  done  by  a 
lump  of  pumice-stone  with  water  and  a sponge ; the 
stone  must  be  kept  flat,  even,  and  as  free  from  paint 
as  can  be  by  rubbing  it  often  on  a flag  or  file.  After 
the  pumice-stone,  then  use  sand-paper.  Where  the 
work  is  very  much  cracked  and  rough,  paint  may  be 
used  instead  of  the  water,  by  first  heavily  coating  the 
work,  and  then  rub  with  the  stone  until  it  is  sufficiently 
level,  then  lay  off  the  paint  as  for  finishing,  and  sand- 
paper it  when  thoroughly  dry.  Small  pieces  of  pumice- 
stone  should  be  used  for  the  moulding  and  corners. 

Old  Paint. — Old  paint  may  me  removed  by  a solu- 
tion of  potash  in  water,  by  applying  it  with  a sponge 
or  brush,  until  the  paint  is  softened,  then  peel  it  off 
with  the  putty-knife  or  chisel. 

Smoky  Paint. — Previous  to  painting  over  smoky  or 
greasy  surfaces,  a weaker  solution  of  potash  should  be 
applied  to  every  part,  and  left  upon  it  for  twelve  hours, 
and  then  cleaned  off. 

Pkepakingl — The  work  must  be  clean,  dry,  and  well 
dusted,  and  the  room  swept ; then  putty  all  nail-holes, 
joints,  checks,  or  other  places  which  require  it,  taking 
care  to  leave  nothing  in  this  particular  undone,  for  the 
painter  should  not  leave  his  brush  after  he  has  once 
taken  it  up  to  prime,  to  putty  the  work  over,  or  do  that 
which  has  been  omitted.  Then  the  knots  and  pitchy 
places  must  be  covered  with  the  shellac- varnish  ; and 
when  that  is  dry,  then  the  priming  may  be  applied. 

Shellacing. — All  good  inside  work  should  have,  pre- 
vious to  priming,  a coat  of  shellac- varnish,  the  same 


68 


as  for  killing  the  knots,  except  that  it  should  be  re- 
duced with  alcohol  one  half,  and  applied  over  the 
whole  work  with  a flat  or  other  convenient  brush. 
This  prevents  the  pitch  and  sap  in  the  wood  from 
showing  through  the  paint  when  finished.  Without 
this  shellacing,  the  white  work  looks  very  bad,  even 
after  being  repainted  several  times ; and  where  zinc- 
white  is  used,  it  will  bring  out  the  pitch  much  worse 
than  lead.  Work  intended  to  be  grained  does  not 
require  it,  but  it  is  best  to  apply  it,  as  it  makes  the 
work  better. 

Priming. — White-lead  mixed  with  one  half  boiled 
oil  and  one  half  turpentine,  should  constitute  the 
first  coat  of  paint  on  inside  work.  Driers  may  be 
u?ed  in  cold  weather,  but  in  warm  the  oil  itself  ma}^  be 
sufficient.  It  is  essential  to  get  on  as  thick  a coat  as 
possible,  therefore  lead  is  preferable  to  zinc,  as  it  has 
more  body  and  covers  the  grain  of  the  wood  or  the 
shellac  better.  It  should  be  thin  enough  to  work  easily 
under  the  brush,  though  not  without  somewhat  more 
rubbing  or  bearing  on  than  for  outside.  If  it  is  not 
rubbed  out  well  in  applying,  it  is  apt  to  drip,  and 
collect  in  the  corners  and  mouldings.  The  paint  should 
be  well  strained  before  using. 

Wet  Wood. — Dampness  from  wet  walls  or  other 
cause  must  be  removed  from  the  wood  before  priming. 
In  new  houses,  the  work  is  frequently  covered  with 
wet  from  the  condensation  of  moisture  from  new  walls 
upon  it,  and  should  not  be  painted  in  that  state,  but 
means  taken  to  dry  it  first.  If  to  dry  it  by  fires  in  the 
rooms  might  be  too  expensive,  the  windows  may  be 


69 


opened  throughout  the  building  during  the  warmest 
part  of  each  day  when  the  sun  is  out,  which  would 
effect  the  object,  though  perhaps  not  so  quickly. 
Booms  finished  in  a hurry,  regardless  of  these  neces- 
sary rules,  on  account  of  their  being  immediately 
wanted,  are  very  dangerous  places  to  live  in  as  regards 
health,  and  the  paint  is  generally  blamed  for  much 
mischief  done  in  that  respect,  of  which  it  is  entirely 
innocent;  besides,  the  work  is,  if  not  spoiled,  stained 
and  discolored  so  as  to  necessitate  a repainting  very 
soon,  and  the  painter  consequently  very  often  blamed 
for  bad  work  by  those  who  could  not  have  known  the 
cause  of  the  trouble. 

Priming  for  Graining. — If  the  work  is  designed  to 
be  grained  in  imitation  of  dark  wood,  including 
some  shades  of  oak,  the  priming  should  be  stained  a 
little  so  as  to  be  about  the  same  tint  as  the  wood  in- 
tended, because  if  primed  white,  it  will  be  apt  to  show 
in  joints  which  may  in  time  occur,  or  in  any  accidental 
dents  or  scratches. 

Cleaning. — The  plaster  and  dust  should  be  cleaned 
off  from  new  wood-work,  preparatory  to  priming,  with- 
out using  water — or  as  little  as  possible  ; for  the  wet 
will  raise  the  grain  and  make  the  work  very  rough.  It 
can  be  cleaned  in  the  same  time  and  with  no  more 
labor  by  old  sand-paper  or  a block  of  wood,  and  a dry 
scrubbing-brush,  dusting  off  afterward  with  the  duster. 

White-Lead  Putty. — Some  putty  is  apt  to  show 
through  two  coats  of  white,  therefore  it  is  very  useful 
to  mix  a little  white-lead  with  it;  about  one  third  in 


70 


bulk  of  lead  will  answer  to  make  it  considerably  whiter  ; 
and  it  will  be  covered  better  with  the  paint. 

Suitable  Brush. — A brush  of  the  largest  6 O size, 
about  half  worn,  is  the  best  for  inside  priming;  a new 
one,  or  one  too  much  worn,  would  make  rough  work, 
unless  more  time  and  care  is  used.  In  working  * 
rapidly,  the  brush  is  sometimes  apt  to  spatter  the 
paint  on  the  floor ; in  such  cases,  it  is  well  to  have  a 
cloth  or  a large  sheet  of  stout  paper  to  spread  down  to 
work  on. 

Drop-Cloths. — Drop-cloths  are  very  useful,  and 
should  be  in  readiness  in  many  kinds  of  work  to  guard 
against  danger  of  spattering.  The  best  workmen 
require  them  when  painting  in  rooms  with  the  carpet 
or  oil-cloth  down,  and  they  can  work  much  faster  with 
them ; it  is  therefore  no  indication  of  a careless  work- 
man, but  rather  the  contrary. 

System. — The  importance  of  system  in  painting, 
spoken  of  elsewhere,  must  not  be  lost  sight  of  in  prim- 
ing inside,  for  upon  it  depends  a saving  of  much  time. 

Old  Wood-Work. — Where  old  work  inside  requires 
more  than  one  coat  to  finish,  the  priming  should  be 
mixed  with  less  oil  than  for  new  work.  One  quarter 
to  three  quarters  of  turpentine  is  sufficient,  sometimes 
even  less.  In  case  the  work  is  in  good  condition  ao 
regards  previous  painting,  the  first  coat  may  be  mixed 
the  same  as  for  finishing. 

White  Shellac. — Old  wood- work  requiring  to  be 
repainted  is  sometimes  very  badly  discolored  from 
pitch  and  sappy  spots  in  it.  To  prevent  these  from 
showing  again,  the  spots  must  be  covered  over  with  a 


71 


coat  of  bleached  shellac-varnish,  made  by  dissolving 
white  shellac  in  alcohol  the  same  as  that  for  killing 
knots  and  shellacing  new  wood-work.  The  alcohol  for 
this  purpose  requires  to  be  of  the  best  quality,  and  the 
varnish  to  be  kept  well  corked  in  cans  or  bottles. 
Both  the  white  and  brown  shellac- varnishes  can  be 
bought  ready  to  use,  and  are  about  as  cheap  as  for  the 
painter  to  make  them,  as  some  difficulty  and  danger 
attends  the  preparation.  White  shellac  may  ere  long 
be  cheap  enough  to  allow  of  its  being  used  for  new 
work  as  well  as  for  all  other ; in  fact,  it  may  be  best  to 
use  it  at  any  rate,  for  it  does  not.  stain  the  work  so 
darkly  as  the  brown,  and  is  covered  easier.  To  make 
shellac-varnish,  dissolve  one  pound  of  gum-shellac  in 
one  gallon  of  good  alcohol ; if  the  alcohol  cannot  be 
procured  of  the  best  quality  and  purity,  the  application 
of  heat  will  be  necessary,  by  putting  the  can  contain- 
ing the  gum  and  alcohol  in  a kettle  of  boiling  water, 
and  stirring  it  frequently,  and  being  careful  to  leave  a 
vent  to  prevent  an  explosion. 

Preparing. — The  priming  must  be  thoroughly  dry, 
and  then  sand-papered  down,  in  case  there  are  any 
rough  places,  or  dust  dried  in  the  priming.  If  any 
stains  from  pitch  should  appear,  apply  the  white  shel- 
lac previous  to  finishing,  and  be  careful  to  dust  off  the 
work  well ; and  also  it  is  necessary  to  have  the  rooms 
swept  out,  that  the  work  may  not  get  dusted  while  wet, 
by  letting  the  dirt  be  swept  by  currents  of  air  upon  it 
when  a door  or  window  may  be  opened.  The  work 
should  be  examined  to  see  if  any  puttying  is  omitted, 
and  this  must  be  seen  to  before  commencing  to  paint. 


72 


Flatting. — Finishing-coats  for  ordinary  work  are 
mixed  with  turpentine  alone,  without  any  oil  except 
that  in  which  the  lead  or  zinc  is  ground,  and  must  be 
applied  very  carefully,  skillfully,  and  at  the  same  time 
very  quickly  with  a good  brush  ; each  portion  of  the 
work  must  be  finished  before  leaving  it  for  a moment, 
and  the  joinings  around  panels  at  the  end  of  cross- 
stiles and  such  like  places,  or  on  large  spaces,  must  be 
kept  wet  until  the  whole  is  done  ; then  it  has  a very 
beautiful,  uniform  dead  look  when  dry,  and  is  called  by 
painters  “ flatting.”  In  flatting  walls  or  ceilings,  two 
more  workmen  are  necessary  to  work  together  to  keep 
the  joinings  always  wet  until  finished,  and  they  should 
have  their  scaffolding  or  steps  so  arranged  that  the 
least  possible  delay  occurs  in  moving  them,  otherwise 
the  paint  will  set  at  the  joinings  and  spoil  the  flatting, 
and  it  is  impossible  to  remedy  such  defects  but  by 
rubbing  down  and  doing  the  work  over  again.  Flat- 
ting heavy  work  or  large  spaces  must  be  done  in 
closed  rooms  : no  current  of  air  should  be  allowed  to 
draw  through  and  over  the  work  until  finished,  as  it 
will  set  the  paint  too  fast  to  work  safely.  Brushes  for 
this  kind  of  work  must  be  of  the  finest  and  best  kind, 
little  and  evenly  worn.  Uneven  walls  and  badly  planed 
wood-work,  when  painted  in  oil-color,  or  glossed,  show 
plainly  every  ridge  and  defect,  which  does  not  appear 
in  flatting ; thus  the  term  “ flatting.”  It  is  very  sel- 
dom that  walls  are  made  perfect  enough  to  finish  with 
a gloss  or  varnish ; or  wood-work  dressed  with  suffi- 
cient care,  particularly  on  contract  work,  to  finish  with 
porcelain  or  enamelled  surface,  or  to  look  well  when 


73 


highly  varnished ; therefore  it  is  preferable  in  most 
cases  to  flat  the  work  where  neatness  or  perfection  is 
desired  in  the  painting.  Flatting  when  dry  is  very 
hard,  but  soap,  in  scrubbing  and  cleaning,  will  dissolve 
or  cut  it,  and  therefore  does  not  do  very  well  for 
kitchens  or  parts  where  much  cleaning  is  required ; 
but  for  parlors,  bedrooms,  halls,  and  such  like  places, 
it  is  lasting  and  durable,  and  when  requiring  to  be 
cleaned,  generally  clear  water  is  sufficient.  Boiled  oil, 
more  or  less,  according  to  the  place,  added  to  flat 
color,  renders  it  harder,  and  suitable  for  kitchens  and 
other  like  places.  Where  a third  coat  for  finish  is 
intended,  the  second  coat  should  be  flatting  color,  with 
the  addition  of  a little  raw  linseed-oil,  about  a gill  to 
ten  pounds  ; this  gives  more  time  to  work  the  paint, 
the  oil  preventing  it  from  setting  quick,  and  also 
allowing  the  room  to  be  open  in  case  of  hot  weather, 
and  thus  making  it  more  comfortable  for  the  workmen  ; 
otherwise,  both  coats  may  be  of  the  flatting  color. 
The  consistency  of  flat  color  depends  somewhat  upon 
circumstances.  It  should  be  thin  enough  to  work 
easy,  not  apt  to  run  down  the  joints  and  carvings,  and 
thick  enough  to  cover  the  woody  color  of  primed 
work,  which  will  easily  be  accomplished  if  the  priming 
has  been  sufficiently  good  and  stout.  A material  object 
in  flatting  is  the  tendency  of  the  paint  to  retain  its 
original  and  intended  purity  of  tint  ; flat  white  will 
remain  white,  but  finishing-coats,  with  even  a small 
proportion  of  oil,  in  rooms  closed  or  partially  closed 
most  of  the  time,  will  turn  yellow,  and  other  colors, 
wffiich  will  turn  darker. 


74 


System  is  particularly  requisite  in  flatting,  as  with- 
out it  such  work  as  windows,  doors,  and  inside  shutters 
and  blinds  cannot  be  well  done  ; and  it  is  in  this  kind 
of  finishing  that  the  workman  soon  finds  the  necessity 
of  observing  it  very  strictly.  Different  workmen  may 
have  different  systems  for  particular  portions  of  work, 
but  as  long  as  it  is  a definite  one,  it  does  not  much 
matter. 

Egg-Shell  Gloss. — Rooms  that  are  kept  very  light 
most  of  the  time  may  be  finished  with  what  is  termed 
“ egg-shell  gloss’’ — that  is,  by  adding  oil  to  flat  color 
in  small  proportions  sufficient  to  prevent  its  drying 
positively  dead  or  flat,  but  having  an  oily  surface  when 
dry,  yet  not  positively  glossy.  In  light  rooms,  this 
kind  of  finish  will  retain  its  original  tint  and  endure 
much  longer,  and  bear  more  cleaning  than  flatting. 
It  is  about  the  same  as  color  mixed  as  directed  where 
a third  coat  is  intended. 

Tinting. — Painting  rooms  in  parti-colors  or  tinting 
the  panels  one  shade  and  the  styles  another,  and 
sometimes  the  mouldings  a third,  is  a very  beautiful 
finish,  and  in  some  cities  has  been  a prevailing  fashion. 

In  most  cases,  the  two  last  coats  should  be  tinted, 
but  sometimes  the  last  one  is  sufficient,  particularly  if 
the  shades  to  be  obtained  are  not  very  dark.  The 
color  must  be  divided  into  as  many  parts  as  shades 
are  wanted,  and  in  proportions  equal  to  the  amount  of 
work  to  be  done  with  each,  then  adding  fine  ground 
colors,  such  as  vermilion,  blue,  yellow,  umber,  India 
red,  lakes,  ochre,  and  such  like  materials,  of  the  best 
qualities,  in  kind  and  proportion  to  produce  the  desired 


75 


tint.  They  may  be  applied  all  at  the  same  time  and 
the  work  finished,  or,  as  will  be  the  best  way,  the 
principal  shades  may  be  used  first,  such  as  on  panels 
and  stiles,  and  when  dry  or  set,  then  the  other  tints 
may  be  put  on. 

Gloss  or  Enamel.— Where  the  woodwork  is  well 
finished  and  dressed  smooth  and  level,  gloss  or  enamel- 
makes  a very  fine  and  beautiful,  as  well  as  durable 
finish.  It  is  done  by  first  having  a good  ground  of 
white-lead  paint,  flatted  and  finely  rubbed  down  with 
fine  sand-paper,  put  on  the  work.;  then  put  into  the 
paint  some  good  demar  or  white  copal- varnish,  suffi- 
cient to  leave  the  egg-shell  gloss  when  dry  ; being 
very  careful  that  it  is  applied  smoothly  and  laid  off 
finely,  leaving  no  runs  or  strong  brush-marks  ; then 
apply  the  varnish  along  with  just  enough  paint  to  color 
it.  This  last  coat  must  be  flowed  on  the  work,  not 
rubbed  out  or  brushed  like  the  previous  coats,  but  left 
on  thicker  or  in  greater  body,  evenly  brushed  out  so  as 
not  to  be  thicker  in  one  place  than  in  another,  or  full 
in  the  mouldings  so  as  to  run  out  over  the  stile  or 
panel.  Quickness  and  carefulness  are  very  requisite 
in  the  finish.  Zinc-white  of  the  best  quality  should 
be  used  for  the  last  two  coats,  broken  up  thick  with 
turpentine  and  strained  very  fine.  Enamel-finish,  to 
retain  its  pure  white,  should  be  made  with  zinc  ground 
in  varnish  for  the  purpose,  the  first  coat  thinned  with 
turpentine,  the  last  with  good  demar  or  copal-varnish. 
If  the  varnish  is  old  and  thick,  a little  turpentine  must, 
be  used  to  thin  it.  Zinc  ground  in  varftish  as  above 
can  be  procured  in  sealed  cans  at  the  stores  where  the 


76 


best  materials  are  sold.  It  should  be  remembered  that 
stains  from  pitch  in  the  wood  must  first  be  covered 
with  the  shellac  previous  to  finishing  for  gloss  or 
enamel. 

Ground  Colors  for  Graining. — Most  lands  of  imita- 
tions of  woods  are  done  with  oil-colors ; the  old- 
fashioned  water  or  beer  colors  are  done  away  with, 
except  in  some  woods  not  much  imitated  in  the  present 
day,  such  as  rose,  maple,  and  mahogany — these  latter 
require  a ground  nearly  flat  ; but  for  oak  and  black- 
walnut,  the  ground  should  be  a good  gloss,  and  for 
new  woodwork  three  coats  are  necessary  to  "make  good 
graining,  and  the  paint  must  be  well  strained  and  care- 
fully put  on  as  if  for  the  best  finish.  The  color  for 
oak  is  to  be  tinted  with  good  ground  ochre  and  red  ; if 
for  dark  oak,  to  about  the  shade  of  salmon  color ; if  for 
light,  just  a mere  straining  or  tinting  from  white ; or 
even  white  itself  will  do  for  very  light  oak.  For  black- 
walnut,  the  ground  is  to  be  composed  of  white  ochre 
and  umber,  to  get  the  shade  of  the  lightest  parts  or 
dry  black-walnut  wood.  For  mahogany,  get  a dark 
orange  color  with  ochre,  white  and  red.  For  rose- 
wood, pure  vermillion  is  the  best,  though  a good 
brilliant  red  may  serve  the  purpose.  For  maple  or 
satin-wood,  pure  white  with  a trifle  of  chrome-yellow : 
some  grain  it  on  pure  white.  The  shades  of  graining 
of  the  various  kinds  can  be  varied  by  the  graining  and 
shading,  and  other  artistic  effects  must  be  produced  by 
the  skill  and  taste  of  the  workman.  And  now  having 
guided  the  painter  thus  far,  I take  my  leave  of  him, 
hoping  that  he  may  continue  to  advance  to  the  highest 
degree  of  perfection  in  his  art. 


F.  W.  DEVOE  & CO., 

Corner  Fulton  and  William  Sts., 

NEW  YORK. 

(See  Advertisement,  second  page  of  cover.) 


OF  ALL  COLORS, 


AND 

SUITABLE  BRUSHES  FOR  USE  IN 
BRONZING. 

Gold  Liquid  for  Mixing  with  Bronze. 

GOLD  AND  SILVER 

PREPARATIONS  FOR  USE  IN  ORNAMENTING. 

FRESCO  COLORS. 


Ready  Mixed  Paints, 


THE  AMERICAN 

Dynamo-Electric  Machine, 

—FOE— 

ELECTRO-PLATING,  ELECTROTYPING,  ETC. 


General  Agents, 

540,  542  AND  544  WEST  SIXTEENTH  STREET, 

NEW  YOI\K,  U.  S.  A. 


Size.  Pulley.  Speed.  Power  Required  Price. 

..  12  in  in 1,000 £ horse  1212.50 

...16  in 7^  in 800 1£  “ 425.00 

...18in  12  in 700 3£  “ 800.00 


No.  1. 
“ 2, 
“ 3. 


The  following  is  the  amount  of  square  feet  of  metal  our  maehines  will  plate 
per  hour  at  the  very  least : 


Nickel. 

Brass. 

Silver. 

No.  1. 

75 

45 

200 

No.  2. 

150 

90 

500 

No,  3. 

300 

180 

1,000 

GETTY  RESEARCH  INSTITUTE 


3 3125  01274  5465 


